At least two Republican Senators thus far have come on board to support President Trump’s call to increase COVID relief checks sent to individuals:
I am concerned about the debt, but working families have been hurt badly by the pandemic
This is why I supported $600 direct payments to working families & if given the chance will vote to increase the amount https://t.co/EciB6TszTY
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 28, 2020
Working Americans have borne the brunt of this pandemic. They’ve been hammered, through no fault of their own. They deserve $2000 in #covid relief – a fraction of what the banks & big business got. Let’s vote now
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 29, 2020
There may be more already, but Rubio and Hawley are the only two I could find this morning. I suspect there will be more Republicans who vote to support the increase and that it will pass the Senate.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is threatening to filibuster the NDAA veto override if McConnell doesn’t bring the $2000 COVID relief bill to the Senate floor first:
This will also mess with the campaign schedules of Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler–both Georgia Senators who want to be in their home state as they run for reelection.
— Nicole Alexander Fisher (@_nalexander) December 29, 2020
Trump retweeted this today and seemed to agree that the $2000 relief bill should be brought first:
Give the people $2000, not $600. They have suffered enough! https://t.co/2jOVCnGtXS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2020
With all the pressure McConnell is facing to quickly bring this to the floor, I expect it will be sooner than later. Perhaps even today, as other Senators are calling for.