Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that Democrats would allow votes that would limit a shield of responsibility for tech companies and set up a commission to examine the 2020 election if the Republican Party agreed to hold a separate vote for up or down to send $ 2,000 to most Americans. .
“Just give us a vote on the bill passed by the House and we will be able to vote on the right-wing conspiracy theory you want,” the New York Democrat said in the Senate floor.
The statements came shortly after a speech by majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Who criticized the $ 2,000 direct payments as “socialism for the rich.”
McConnell has refused to hold a separate vote on stimulus payments, rather than linking them to legislation that would repeal Article 230 and create a commission to study alleged problems with the presidential election.
President Donald Trump demanded that Congress go ahead with all three issues when he agreed to sign a $ 900 billion Covid-19 aid package on Sunday.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects Internet platforms from liability for user-created content, has long been criticized by conservatives who have collaborated with companies such as Facebook and Twitter for unrelated issues.
Schumer said, linking the three issues, McConnell had “invented an excuse” to avoid passing legislation that would allow for increased stimulus payments. Trump, Schumer said, had not “made that demand.”
“Let’s be very clear: there’s one way and only one way to pass $ 2,000 checks before the end of the year. And that’s to approve the House bill. It’s the only way to get the American people the checks that they need and deserve it, ”Schumer said.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation authorizing $ 2,000 checks, increasing by $ 1,400 the $ 600 checks requested in the $ 900 billion package signed by Trump. Americans have already started receiving the $ 600 payments.
On Tuesday, McConnell blocked Schumer’s first attempt to pass House legislation in the Senate by unanimous consent. Schumer tried again on Thursday, and McConnell again refused the effort.
In his own speech Thursday, McConnell said the recession inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic had affected rich and poor Americans differently.
“The data shows that many upper-middle-class Americans have kept their jobs, worked remotely, and stayed totally financially comfortable,” McConnell said. “There is no need for the House speaker to do socialism for rich people.”
Those on the left have argued that direct payments can provide financial lifelines faster than narrower relief, particularly given the delays associated with state-administered unemployment insurance programs.
The push for increased payments has divided Republicans, even positioning the outgoing president against the top Republican in Congress. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Also made waves in supporting direct payments of $ 2,000.
The fighting has spread to the crucial runoff taking place in Georgia, which will determine which party controls the Senate.
The two Democratic candidates, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, immediately seized on the development and both Republican Party rivals, sensors Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, expressed support for the payment.
President-elect Joe Biden has also expressed support for the $ 2,000 direct payments and said he will provide more details on his plan to get more relief legislation early next year. It will be inaugurated on January 20th.
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