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.
Dan Wertman is the co-founder and CEO of Noetica, a platform used by U.S. law firms to benchmark risk in corporate credit and M&A deals. Previously, Wertman worked at BlackRock and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
Karen Servidea, JD, is a senior legal analyst for Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory, U.S. She tracks, analyzes and writes about tax law developments for the Standard Federal Tax Reporter, Exempt Organizations Reporter, and Tax Essentials. She previously practiced in civil tax litigation.
With a background as an elite gymnast and a passion for understanding the remarkable capabilities of the female body, I bring a holistic approach to workplace wellbeing at Lifesum. A dedicated runner and mother, I thrive on creating environments that empower health and productivity—and when I'm not shaping wellness strategies, you'll likely find me perfecting a recipe or embracing life outdoors.
“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.
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.