Last night President Trump did sign the COVID relief and Omnibus bill that he’d recently railed against. And today, the House of Representatives will vote on sending $2,000 checks out in lou of just the $600:
FOX NEWS – The House of Representatives on Monday will vote on a bill to send $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans in lieu of the $600 checks included in the coronavirus stimulus and government funding package President Trump signed Sunday night.
The vote will come after Trump for the better part of a week railed against the size of the checks and the amount of foreign aid included in the massive combination of two legislative accords that lawmakers sent to his desk.
The Monday vote won’t address the “pork” that Trump has said he wishes to cut — despite the fact he requested much of it in his budget. But it will force GOP House members to go on the record on whether to increase the price tag on the stimulus checks after the president demanded they do so.
“I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill,” Trump said in a tweet Saturday.
“Now, the President must immediately call on Congressional Republicans to end their obstruction and to join him and Democrats in support of our stand-alone legislation to increase direct payment checks to $2,000, which will be brought to the Floor tomorrow,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Sunday night.
The bill the House will vote on Monday was first introduced by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass. It’s just a few pages long and simply changes the passages in the stimulus Trump just signed that say $600 to $2,000. That made its enactment dependent on Trump signing the stimulus and spending bill, which was in doubt until Sunday night.
The House will certainly vote on it.
But the question is will the Senate?
Trump signing the stimulus, however, is just one step that needs to happen if Democrats’ effort for $2,000 checks is to succeed. It will still need to clear the GOP-controlled Senate and later be signed by the president. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said, “I would be surprised if we dealt with it” if Democrats managed to pass a bill for $2,000.
Plus, the fact that Trump signed the stimulus into law may take pressure off Republicans in both the House and the Senate to vote for the boosted checks, allowing them to stick to their guns on keeping the size of the relief package under control. The government is now funded for the next year, crucial benefits helping Americans through the pandemic are renewed and $600 checks will be on the way even if the $2,000 checks don’t pass.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday he will aim to swiftly pass the $2,000 checks through the Senate if it makes it through the House.
“The House will pass a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks,” He said in a Sunday tweet. “Then I will move to pass it in the Senate. No Democrats will object. Will Senate Republicans?”
Here’s another caveat. The House bill will require a two-thirds majority to pass it. At least initially:
Adding to the intrigue is the fact Pelosi has set the Monday bill up to be voted on as a “suspension” measure, meaning that it will require a two-thirds supermajority vote to pass. It’s not clear exactly how many Republicans will vote for the checks. That number could also potentially be affected by further Twitter exhortations from Trump on Monday.
Fox News is told by a member of House GOP leadership that the measure should secure two-thirds, but that sentiment is not necessarily universal.
The House meets Monday afternoon and it’s not expected to start taking votes until the early evening — the body will also vote to override the president’s veto on the National Defense Authorization Act Monday.
Attendance for the vote will be another element that could affect the margins, as it’s not clear every lawmaker will make it back to Washington, D.C., for the Monday after Christmas or will submit proxy votes.
And, if the stimulus checks measure initially fails in the House, it could be brought up for a subsequent vote, which would only need a simple majority to succeed.
Trump has made it clear that he wants Americans to receive $2,000 and I have little doubt the bill will pass the House. The big question is whether McConnell will take up the bill and if he does, will any Republican vote for it? I guess we’ll find out soon!