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.
The world’s largest payment companies are fighting for their own piece of the U.S. coronavirus stimulus: an assignment to help distribute some of the relief money that will be sent to millions of Americans in the coming weeks.
Managing filing dates, payment dates, and scheduled tax payments is even more complicated this year, thanks to the coronavirus.
Spencer Lee is a New York-based technology reporter at National Mortgage News, whose coverage area spans artificial intelligence, fintech platforms and policy developments.
A reporter at National Mortgage News since 2021, Spencer has written and reported in-depth pieces ranging from marketing strategy for home lenders, affordable housing initiatives and changes artificial intelligence is bringing to the workforce. He also covers company news, particularly surrounding fintechs and the expanding niche of home equity investment platforms. Spencer regularly speaks to leading mortgage executives and policy experts,
Spencer has a Master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in New York and in 2024 was a finalist for the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Technical/Scientific Content.
His notable interviews include those with Former Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan and Lower CEO Dan Snyder. He also co-created the 2024 podcast "Getting people into affordable homes and loans"
Twitter: @Spencer_NYC
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-lee-journo/
“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.