Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday closed off chances that the Senate would pass anytime soon a House bill that would give most Americans $2,000 stimulus payments.
The Kentucky Republican said the House legislation, approved in a bipartisan vote Monday, “has no realistic path” to quick passage in the Senate and that it falls short of the demands of President Donald Trump. He again blocked an attempt by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to adopt the House bill to increase the payments to $2,000 from the $600 by unanimous consent.
Peter Rodes is vice president of innovation and advisory services, for RGAX, the transformation engine of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA). Based in Chicago, Peter is a member of RGAX’s Emerging Solutions team, with a global role in developing novel and/or disruptive approaches to engaging with life and health insurance consumers to enable them to live healthier, longer, and more financially secure lives. Peter joins RGAX with more than 25 years of experience in health care, marketing and insurance.
As Program Manager, Global Product Portfolio Management for RGAX, the transformation engine of RGA Reinsurance Company, Eva Goldstein has global responsibility for RGA’s product framework, helping RGA and RGAX launch and scale industry-leading products and services. Based in Toronto, Eva brings more than 20 years of industry experience and a deep knowledge of both traditional and non-traditional parts of the business to her role, including local and global business development, alternative distribution, group healthcare, and most recently, strategic partnership management for RGAX.
Keith Ash is a senior vice president for client development with Strategic Resource Management.
The Senate instead will work on combining the stimulus payments with measures on election integrity and rolling back social media liability protections, he said. That responds to all three issues Trump has said he wants, but a bill combining them likely will alienate enough senators in both parties to leave prospects for bigger stimulus payments dead in the Senate.
“The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of the Democrats’ rich friends who don’t need the help,” McConnell said. The House bill would raise the income cutoff to receive a payment.
The clash over the payments also is entangling another piece of year-end business in the Senate — a vote to override Trump’s veto of a crucial $740.5 billion defense policy bill. Senators Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey said they will continue to delay the defense legislation vote unless McConnell relents and allows a vote on a standalone bill on the bigger stimulus checks.
“We are saying to Mitch McConnell, to allow the United States Senate to do what it’s supposed to do, and that is the vote,” Sanders told reporters. “The House passed the bill, it’s over here right now. Do you want to vote against it? Then vote against it.”
Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey later blocked an attempt by Sanders to call up the House bill for a roll call vote.