On Tuesday, Senate Republicans blocked quick action on the legislation to provide bigger checks.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell then teed up potential action on legislation that includes the $2,000 checks, repeals certain protections for social media companies, and sets up an election integrity commission two other priorities of President Trump.
Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont says he’s going to hold up a planned vote to override Mr. Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to try to secure a vote on the $2,000 checks.
Senate Democrats said Mr. McConnell’s bill will not pass the chamber and effectively kills any chances for a quick increase to the direct payments since the current Congress ends this weekend.
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Stimulus payments of $600 are on their way to Georgia; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a vote on increasing checks to $2,000. (Shutterstock)
GEORGIA Hopes for a round of $2,000 coronavirus relief checks were blocked in the U.S. Senate Tuesday, but a second round of stimulus check payments began arriving Tuesday night for some Georgians and will continue into next week, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service said.
Paper checks will begin to be mailed on Wednesday. Most people who make under a certain amount will receive a one-time, non-taxable payment of $600.
Full payments will go to people who meet these criteria for adjusted gross income based on 2019 tax returns: $75,000 for single filers, $112,500 for heads of household, and $150,000 for those married filing jointly. After those thresholds, the payments decrease, and won t be available for single-filers who earned more than $99,000. Adults also get $600 for each child they claim as a d
Loeffler, Perdue Will Struggle to Win Georgia Without $2,000 Stimulus Checks: Newt Gingrich
On 12/30/20 at 12:55 PM EST
While appearing on Fox News
America s Newsroom, Gingrich was asked about the new economic relief legislation and how it relates to the runoffs in Georgia, which will determine if Republicans can retain majority control of the Senate. The long-term control of the U.S. Senate lies in Georgia. Both Georgia senators have endorsed the $2,000 payment that President Trump has proposed, Gingrich said.
He went on to say that he would beg Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring up the $2,000 payment as a freestanding, independent vote and have people like Senator Loeffler and Senator Perdue able to come back and vote for it.
(AP) President Donald Trump’s push for bigger $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks has stalled out in the Republican-led Senate. With Republican senators deeply split over new spending, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday blocked a swift vote proposed by Democrats. The GOP leader signaled an alternative approach that links Trump’s demand for aid with restrictions the president wants on tech companies and for a new commission to review the election results. McConnell says the Senate will “begin a process” to address the issues. But the next steps are highly uncertain, and it’s quite possible no bill passes. The Democratic-led House has already approved the larger checks.