Senator Pat Toomey this week opposed the push to pass legislation that would increase the value of stimulus controls from $ 600 to $ 2,000.
Toomey (R-Pa.), Widely known as the budget and deficit hawk, repeatedly criticized this Tuesday the efforts of President Trump, Democrats and some Republicans to increase direct payments.
“Taking or blindly printing another two-thirds of a trillion dollars to be able to send $ 2,000 to children, the deceased and tens of millions of workers who have lost no pay, such as federal and state employees, is not a sound economic policy nor Is it something I’m willing to support, ”Toomey, who will retire after his 2022 term ends, said in a statement.
Committing not to “consent to a vote on this,” the Pennsylvania senator also refused to allow any undirected relief in a Tuesday tweet.
“Congress should continue to help workers who have lost their jobs,” he argued, calling the loans needed to pay for that effort “terrible policy”.
Pressed by his opposition to increased controls on CNN that afternoon, Toomey maintained his position and explained that he was against the checks going to people who had not suffered any loss of income due to this crisis. .
“It simply came to our notice then. Today we are in a very different place than we were in March “, he argued.
Last Tuesday, the commander-in-chief called the bipartisan bill for the relief of coronavirus a “disgrace” and called on Congress to amend it.
The legislation, which was tied to a $ 1.4 trillion government funding bill, passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, but Trump argued the package needed work.
Trump’s biggest complaint with the deal was the size of direct payments, and he asked Congress last week to amend the bill and raise each check to $ 2,000 and eliminate billions of dollars in foreign aid. .
He announced he had signed the measure on Sunday, but warned he would demand that millions of dollars of spending be withdrawn from the bill.
Since then, sensors Josh Hawley (R-Mo), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) And David Perdue (R-Ga.) Have come. in support of the $ 2,000 checks.