GOP blocks Democrats’ bid for $2K payments Trump demanded

House Republicans blocked Democrats’ attempt to meet President Donald Trump’s demand to pay most Americans $2,000 to help weather the coronavirus pandemic.

House Republicans blocked Democrats’ attempt to meet President Donald Trump’s demand to pay most Americans $2,000 to help weather the coronavirus pandemic.

Republicans objected to the bill House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer sought to pass by unanimous consent Thursday to replace the $600 payments in the latest pandemic relief legislation with the $2,000 payments.

CORONAVIRUS IMPACT: ADDITIONAL COVERAGE

Mike is co-founder and COO of Koffie Financial, a modern-day insurer focusing on trucking and transportation. Prior to co-founding Koffie, Mike worked for seven years in leadership roles at The Dorfman Organization, a 4th generation boutique insurance brokerage specializing in transportation. He is excited to use granular, real-time data, machine learning, and IOT to digitize and solve antiquated and historically unprofitable commercial P&C lines.

Meghan Shea is Vice President and Head of Strategy and Solutions at New York Life Group Benefit
Solutions where she oversees the Product & Experience, Marketing, Project Management, and
Learning & Development teams. She is responsible for the long-term vision, short-term strategy, and
timely delivery of all products and connected experiences to drive value for NYL GBS clients,
customers, and brokers.

Lee Povey is the CEO and Founder of Maximize Your Potential Coaching, as well as the Co-Founder of Coaches Soul. As a previous elite cycling athlete and Olympic Development Program Coach for USA Cycling, and from coaching hundreds of World, National, and Olympic champions, Lee understands the importance of World-Class leadership. His mission is to empower and support leaders, executives, and elite coaches in achieving their leadership and life goal potential.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leepovey/

“House and Senate Democrats have repeatedly fought for bigger checks for the American people, which House and Senate Republicans have repeatedly rejected — first, during our negotiations when they said that they would not go above $600 and now, with this act of callousness on the Floor,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Thursday.

Democrats will try again with a roll call vote on a new bill Dec. 28, when the House also plans a vote to override Trump’s veto on the National Defense Authorization Act. Since current government spending runs out that day — and funds for the rest of the fiscal year are included in the virus relief bill Trump criticized and hasn’t signed -- the House could also pass another stopgap measure to avert a partial government shutdown.

capitol-runner.jpg
A runner stands near the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Oliver Contreras/Bloomberg

Republicans on Thursday tried to seek unanimous consent on a measure to examine taxpayer money spent on foreign aid, but Democrats blocked that move. In his complaint Tuesday about Congress’s combined virus aid and government spending bill, Trump criticized federal resources spent on international programs, even though that spending was allocated as part of the bipartisan appropriations process.