Democrats pledge to continue providing $ 2,000 stimulus payments after their party took control of the Senate this week with wins in two run-offs in Georgia, where the checks played a key role.
At a meeting for Election Day, President-elect Joe Biden
Joe Biden Capitol Police Officer Dies After Riots Rep. Joaquin Castro Wants To Prevent Federal Government From Ever Naming Buildings Property To Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘Encouraged Recklessly’ Capitol Rioters MORE said electing the two Democratic candidates would reverse the majority, end a GOP blockade for larger controls, and allow for more coronavirus relief in the form of direct payments.
Now Democrats say they intend to keep that promise.
Her. Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol rioters McConnell ousts senate sergeant-at-arms after Capitol riots Capitol police chief announces resignation after pro-Trump riots MORE (DN.Y.), who is on the cusp of becoming majority leader when Biden is inaugurated on Jan. American families. “
Other Democratic lawmakers have emphasized payments of $ 2,000 after the expected victories before Jon Ossoff
Jon Ossoff Celebrities Respond To Georgia Democrats Victory And Take Control Of Senate The Democrats Gain Control Of Senate After Warnock Victories, Ossoff Ossoff Beats Perdue In Georgia Senate Drain MORE and the Rev. Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock Celebrities Respond to Democrats’ Victory in Georgia and Take Control of Senate Democrats Gain Control of Senate After Warnock’s Victories, Ossoff Ossoff Beats Perdue in Georgia Senate Drain MORE in the elections in Georgia.
“As elected Senators Warnock and Ossoff have rightly pointed out, a Democratic Senate means families across the country will receive $ 2,000 survival checks,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal
Pramila JayapalHouse Judiciary Democrats Asks Pence to Invoke 25th Amendment to Remove Trump Hillary Clinton McConnell: ‘Senate Minority Leader’ John Lewis recalled after Warnock’s win, ‘I wish he were here tonight’ MORE (D-Wash.) Said in a statement.
Biden on Wednesday reiterated his desire to pass additional legislation on coronavirus control.
“We need urgent action for what comes next as the COVID-19 crisis is affecting both red and blue states,” he said in a statement.
Besides Biden and Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiCapitol Police Officer Dies After Riots Kellyanne Conway Condemns Violence, Backs Trump in Statement on Capitol Riots Warren Claps Back to DeVos After Announcing Resignation: ‘Good riddance’ MORE (D-Calif.) Has backed the larger payments that would come after $ 600 payments from the most recent COVID-19 emergency bill.
The direct payments pledge of the three major Democrats indicates that short-term legislative action is likely to be a priority, said Todd Metcalf, a director of the tax policy department at PwC who previously served as chief tax adviser for Democrats in the Senate Financial Committee.
“That trifecta, they’re definitely going to do something to deliver on that promise, and early on in the Biden term,” Metcalf said.
Both Warnock and Ossoff argued for more direct payments to Americans in the weeks leading up to the run-off. Those calls escalated after that President Trump
Donald Trump Capitol Police Officer Dies After Riots Donor Who Gave Millions to Hawley Urges Senate to Convict Him for ‘Irresponsible’ Behavior Kellyanne Conway Condemns Violence, Backs Trump in Statement on Capitol Riots MORE last month called for an increase in direct payments in the recently adopted coronavirus package from $ 600 to $ 2,000.
Trump’s phone calls also prompted the two GOP candidates in the races to back larger payments and broke with many of their Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill.
Much of that GOP opposition was on display after the House passed a bill in late December to increase payments to $ 2,000 in a two-pronged vote. When the measure arrived in the Senate, attempts by the Democrats to pass the legislation were blocked more than once by the Republican leaders.
Some GOP critics oppose the increased payments due to concerns about increasing the federal deficit, while others have argued that the payments would not be targeted as some checks would go to people who did not lose their jobs or income during the pandemic .
But Democrats argue that the more direct aid to Americans is needed at a time when many are struggling to cover basic spending.
According to an analysis released Thursday by the left-wing Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, people in the bottom 60 percent of income would see their income increase by 1 on average1 percent of the $ 2,000 payments were in the home account, compared to a 3 percent increase with just a $ 600 payment.
Trump on Wednesday criticized GOP leaders for resisting increasing payments to $ 2,000.
“How does that play out politically?” Trump said at a meeting that preceded it riots in the Capitol. Trump added that he thinks the backlash against $ 2,000 checks was “one of the main reasons” why Republicans lost in Georgia.
The exact timing of Democratic legislation to ramp up check amounts is unclear, but it is highly unlikely to occur before the inauguration day.
At this early stage, there are other questions about the legislation.
An important point is whether the Democrats would propose raising the recent $ 600 payments to $ 2,000, or whether they would create another $ 2,000 round.
The bill passed by the House late last month, which would have to be reentered in current Congress to proceed, would have increased payments from $ 600 to $ 2,000 and made adult dependents eligible for the payments . The IRS has already made most of the $ 600 payments, and progressives will likely push for as much aid as possible to Americans.
Another important question is whether Democrats will vote on standalone direct payments legislation, or whether the checks will be packaged in a broader coronavirus aid package. Schumer declined this week to say which route the Democrats would take.
Once in control of Congress, Democrats will have the ability to pass legislation using the budget reconciliation process, allowing them to take certain measures by simple majority. Lawmakers tend to reserve reconciliation for larger packages of legislation.
Reconciliation aside, the legislation will require 60 votes to clear the Senate, and the Democrats will have 50 seats once Warnock and Ossoff are sworn in. While several GOP senators have spoken out in favor of boosting direct payments, it is unclear whether a stand-alone law would pass the 60-vote threshold.
Democrats will also have to decide whether to make changes to the eligibility requirements for the payments.
Russ Sullivan, a former staff director for Democrats on the Senate Treasury Committee who now chairs the national tax policy group at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, said some Democratic lawmakers may not want to include too much of the cost of a broad coronavirus package. by the checks. The December law passed by the house was estimated at about $ 464 billion.
“There will be Democrats who don’t want the additional checks to rule out other COVID restorative provisions,” Sullivan said. “The most logical way to reduce costs is to reduce the run-off points for eligible income.”