Democrats pledge to move forward by providing $ 2,000 stimulus payments after his party gained control of the Senate this week with victories in two Georgia qualifiers, where checks played a key role.
In a rally before election day, president-elect Joe Biden
Joe Biden: Capitol Police Officer Dies After Riots Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to prevent federal government from naming buildings owned by Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol riot police MORE he said the election of the two Democratic candidates would turn the majority around, end a GOP blockade on larger checks and allow more relief from the coronavirus in the form of direct payments.
Now, Democrats say they plan to keep that promise.
His. Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer: Tucker Carlson: Trump “Recklessly Encouraged” Capitol Riot Police McConnell Dismisses Senate Sergeant-at-Arms After Capitol Riots Capitol Police Chief Announces Resignation After Pro-Trump Riots MORE (DN.Y.), who is about to become a majority leader when Biden opens on Jan. 20, said Wednesday that one of the first things I want to do when our new senators are seated is to deliver the $ 2,000 checks to American Families “.
Other Democratic lawmakers have underlined the $ 2,000 payments following the planned victories for Jon Ossoff
Jon Ossoff Celebrities React to Democrats Winning Georgia, Taking Control of the Senate Democrats gain control of the Senate after Warnock, Ossoff wins. Ossoff defeats Perdue in the second round of the Georgia Senate. MONTH and the Rev. Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock: Celebrities react to Democrats winning Georgia, taking control of the Senate. Democrats gain control of the Senate after Warnock, Ossoff wins. Ossoff defeats Perdue in the second round of the Georgia Senate. MONTH in the Georgia election.
“As Senators Warnock and Ossoff have rightly pointed out, a Democratic Senate means families across the nation will receive $ 2,000 survival checks,” the Progressive Congressional chair said. Pramila Jayapal
Pramila JayapalHouse lawmakers ask Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump trolls Hillary Clinton McConnell: John Lewis, the Senate minority leader, recalled after Warnock’s victory: “I wish I was here tonight ” MONTH (D-Wash.), He said in a statement.
Biden reiterated on Wednesday his desire to pass additional coronavirus relief legislation.
“We need urgent action on what comes next, because the COVID-19 crisis is affecting both red and blue states,” it said in a statement.
In addition to Biden and Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi: Capitol police officer dies after riots. Kellyanne Conway condemns the violence and supports Trump in a statement on the Capitol riots. Warren applauds DeVos again after the resignation announcement: “Good exemption” MORE (D-California) has supported the larger payments, which would come as a result of payments of $ 600 from the latest COVID-19 relief bill.
Commitment to direct payments from the top three Democrats indicates that short-term action on legislation is likely to be a priority, said Todd Metcalf, director of PwC’s tax policy services group who previously served as chief tax adviser. of Democrats in the Senate. Finance Commission.
“That trifecta will no doubt do something to fulfill that promise, and at the beginning of Biden,” Metcalf said.
Both Warnock and Ossoff advocated more direct payments to Americans in the weeks leading up to the runoff. These calls increased later President Trump
Donald Trump, a Capitol police officer, dies after the riots. Given that he gave millions to Hawley urges the Senate to censure him for “irresponsible” behavior Kellyanne Conway condemns violence and supports Trump in statement on Capitol riots MORE last month asked to increase direct payments from the recently approved coronavirus relief package from $ 600 to $ 2,000.
Trump’s calls also prompted the two Republican Party candidates to run in favor of higher payments, breaking with many of his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill.
Much of this Republican Party opposition was shown after the House passed a bill in late December to increase payments to $ 2,000 in a bipartisan vote. When the measure reached the Senate, Democrats’ efforts to pass legislation were blocked on more than one occasion by Republican leadership.
Some Republican critics oppose the increase in payments due to concerns about adding to the federal deficit, while others have argued that payments will not be directed, as some checks will go to people who have not lost their jobs or income during the pandemic.
But Democrats argue that more direct assistance is needed for Americans at a time when many are struggling to cover basic spending.
According to one analysis published Thursday by the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy on the left, people with less than 60 percent of income would on average see their income increase by 11 percent with the $ 2,000 payments floating around in the House bill, compared to a 3 percent increase with just a $ 600 payment.
On Wednesday, Trump criticized Republican Party leaders for opposing raising payments to $ 2,000.
“How does this play out politically?” Trump said at an earlier rally riots in the Capitol. Trump added that he believes resistance to the $ 2,000 checks was “one of the main reasons” Republicans lost to Georgia.
The exact timing of democratic legislation to increase check amounts is unclear, but they are highly unlikely to happen before the opening day.
At this early stage, there are other issues about legislation.
An important question is whether Democrats would propose to increase recent payments from $ 600 to $ 2,000 or whether they would create a new round of $ 2,000.
The bill passed by the House late last month, which would have to be re-passed in the current Congress to move it forward, would have increased payments from $ 600 to $ 2,000 and made adult dependents eligible for payments. The IRS has already issued most of the $ 600 payments, and progressives are likely to push for as much assistance as possible for Americans.
Another key question is whether Democrats will call for a vote on autonomous legislation for direct payments, or whether checks would be incorporated into a broader coronavirus relief package. This week, Schumer declined to say what route Democrats would take.
Once in control of Congress, Democrats will be able to pass legislation through the process of budget reconciliation that allows them to pass certain measures with a simple majority vote. Lawmakers tend to reserve reconciliation for larger packages of legislation.
Outside of reconciliation, legislation needs 60 votes to clear the Senate and Democrats will have 50 seats once Warnock and Ossoff have taken office. While several Republican senators have supported raising direct payments, it is unclear whether an independent bill would remove the 60-vote threshold.
Democrats will also have to decide if they want to make any changes to the eligibility requirements for payments.
Russ Sullivan, a former Democrat chief of staff on the Senate Finance Committee that now chairs Brownstein’s national fiscal policy group Hyatt Farber Schreck, said some Democratic lawmakers may not want to bear too much of the cost of a comprehensive relief package. of the coronavirus by checks. It was estimated that the bill approved by the House as of December would cost about $ 464 billion.
“There will be Democrats who don’t want the additional controls to remove other COVID recovery provisions,” Sullivan said. “The most logical way to reduce cost would be to reduce the points of elimination of eligible revenue.”