PRESIDENT TRUMP TRUMP SIGNS RELIEF
By: CaraG @exclusivelycarag
President Donald Trump signs off to put more money in Americans’ pockets. The House voted Monday, December 28 to increase the second round of federal direct payments to $2,000.
After a long delay, a boost to the stimulus checks in the year-end coronavirus relief and government funding package could increase from $600 to $2000. The vote came a day after Trump signed the more than $2 trillion pandemic aid and full-year government spending bill into law. Now that the House of Representatives authorized the $2,000 stimulus check, it is with the Senate to consider. It isn’t known when the legislation will come to a final vote in the Senate.
“Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief, which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it – there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way,” Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. Last week, Trump called the relief and funding legislation passed by Congress a “disgrace.” He delayed the signing process for days after he received it from
Congress. Trump claimed he opposed the bill because it included too little direct money to Americans and too much foreign aid.
The $600 payments are still on course to go out this week. A senior Treasury official said the department expects to make the payments on the same timeline he discussed. If Congress approves the $2,000 checks, the department will then add to the already issued money.
Biden wants to see a larger relief package in 2021, one that may include a third stimulus check and other resources that Republicans and Democrats agreed to leave out this round to pass a crucial deal. “This bill is just the first step, a down payment, in addressing the crisis —crises, more than one — that we’re in,” Biden said, emphasizing that he would like to see a third stimulus check.
