GOP senator says he will block permission for $ 2,000 stimulus checks

Republican Sen. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Government Used Patriot Act To Collect Website Visitor Logs In 2019 Appeals Court Rules NSA’s Bulk Phone Data Collection Illegal Dunford Withdraws From Consideration To Chair Coronavirus Monitoring Panel MORE (Pa.) Announced Tuesday evening that he would object to a request to swiftly pass House-approved legislation to increase the number of direct stimulus vouchers to $ 2,000.

Toomey is one of many Republican senators who would object to such a request, including Sens. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold Johnson Schumer To Try To Pass K-stimulus Checks Bill Tuesday This Week: Trump’s Hold On Hill Allies Faces Test On COVID-19, foreign policy elites are as polarized as the public MORE (R-Delete.) And Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard Paul Sanders to delay NDAA veto in attempt to vote on K-checks proposal House ignores Trump’s right to veto defense law This week: Trump’s hold on Hill allies faces test MORE (R-Ky.), According to a Senate GOP assistant.

Congress must continue to help workers who have lost their jobs. But blindly borrowing over $ 600 billion so that we can send $ 2,000 checks to millions of people who have lost no income is a terrible policy. I do not agree to that ”, Toomey tweeted Tuesday evening.

Toomey announced that he will retire at the end of 2022 and that he has no plans to run for political office again.

His statement shows that the senate leader of the majority Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Sanders to delay the NDAA’s right of veto in an effort to vote on K-checks Schumer’s proposal to try to pass K-stimulus checks bill Tuesday Rubio backs Trump’s push for, 000 direct payments MORE (R-Ky.) Isn’t the only obstacle to passing legislation passed by the House Monday to increase the size of direct stimulus vouchers from $ 600 to $ 2,000.

In an interview with CNNs Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul Tapper Jake Tapper says he won’t interview McEnany because she ‘lies like most people breathe’ Esquire calls Jake Tapper ‘The King of Truth’ in 2020 Transport nominee Buttigieg says millions of new electric vehicles are needed on US roads LAKEToomey said Tuesday that “it’s a really bad idea” to significantly expand the scope of stimulus controls.

“We are talking about sending checks, the vast majority of which goes to people who have not lost any income,” he said. “How and why does that make sense at all?”

Toomey said it would increase the total cost of the stimulus checks to two-thirds of $ 1 trillion.

He said sending $ 1,200 stimulus vouchers in the CARES law in March was “questionable” but justifiable because the economy was on the verge of collapse, a danger that has since diminished.

Democrats have tried to portray McConnell as the main obstacle, but even if the GOP leader agreed to an immediate vote on legislation that would increase the scope of stimulus controls, the Senate leader would be Charles SchumerChuck Schumer New York Democratic Party Chairman Warns Ocasio-Cortez Against Challenging Schumer Sunday Show Preview: COVID-19 Relief Awaits Trump’s Signature; government continues vaccination Trump and Pelosi should unite for, 000 MORE aid checks (DN.Y.), it would still face GOP opposition.

“There will be no vote,” said a Senate GOP aide, who claimed ordinary senators would put up procedural obstacles to hold back the bill passed by the House for as long as possible.

“There would be an objection from Toomey to consider it, and we’ve already had objections from Johnson. You can expect an objection from Paul. It’s just ridiculous that the Democrats are suggesting that we voted with approval on a $ 500 billion bill that sends $ 2,000 checks to children, $ 2,000 checks to people who died this year, and $ 2,000 checks to people who have no income. have lost, ”the assistant added.

Schumer tried to increase pressure on McConnell on Tuesday by urging him to immediately schedule a vote on the house-passed legislation to enforce $ 2,000 stimulus checks.

“As we all know, the majority leader is checking the schedule on the floor, so McConnell holds the key to resolve this dilemma,” he said.

The House passed the measure with a vote of 275 to 134 with the support of 44 Republicans.

The GOP leader on Tuesday objected to Schumer’s request for unanimous permission to immediately proceed with the House bill to increase incentive vouchers to $ 2,000 per person.

Instead, McConnell said the Senate will “begin a process” to increase direct financial support for US households and to review the liability protections that “Big Tech” social media platforms enjoy under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and provide additional to investigate safeguards against elections. fraud – three of President TrumpDonald Trump Trump calls for an end to ‘religious persecution worldwide’ on 850th anniversary of Thomas Becket’s death Michael Cohen interview raises questions after he names prison friends ‘Tony Meatballs and Big Minty’ Ocasio-Cortez who oppose both Democrats and Republicans who resist, 000 MORE direct payments‘s top priorities.

McConnell later on Tuesday circulated a proposal to increase stimulus controls to $ 2,000, repeal section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and establish a two-party two-party advisory committee to study “ the integrity and administration ” of the 2020 election, which Trump has claimed. without evidence was biased by fraud.

Toomey on Tuesday expressed concern about the withdrawal of liability protections from social media platforms, which could be a boon to plaintiffs’ attorneys.

“The idea that Section 230 should be repealed … I think that’s an important, complicated issue. That legal liability protection that we provided to these Internet companies years ago has really enabled spectacular growth in a whole new industry that has done so much for our economy, ”he told CNN.

“Is it abused in some cases? I think so, ”he said of Section 230 protection for technology companies. ‘But I don’t think one day you’ll decide to throw everything away. I think we need to think about what the unintended consequences are. ”

Updated at 7:20 PM

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