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House PASSES $2,000 stimulus checks bill siding with Trump’s demand for bigger payments and setting up Senate showdown
THE House of Representatives passed a Covid stimulus bill that includes giving $2,000 checks to Americans - siding with President Trump's demands for higher relief payments.
The vote on Monday, which would be an increase from the original $600 offered stimulus check, came barely a day after President Trump signed the initial $908 billion stimulus package into law.
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The , where its future is uncertain after GOP leaders argued against paying high levels of direct aid to Americans.
It also came a week after Trump called the bill a "disgrace" and threatened to use his veto power until Congress came forward with a suitable stimulus check for the American people.
The president claims for not providing enough direct aid to Americans, despite Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin helping negotiate the bill to include many of the White House's budget priorities.
, who have refused to provide even another round of $1,200 checks as were previously offered under the CARES Act in March.
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The in a quick procedure that requires two-thirds majority support.
A Treasury official said the department has planned on sending the $600 payments regardless this week as promised. Should the Senate approve the $2,000 direct payments, the Treasury Department would then add to the already issued funds.
In the eight months that have elapsed since the CARES Act originally passed, and in both chambers of have bickered over how much direct aid to provide to Americans and how much money should be allotted to state and local governments.
that would provide $1,200 checks to Americans as well as funding to local governments that would go to reopening schools and providing highly-needed medical supplies for hospitals.
and would push the federal government further into debt.
Trump signed the funding bill after refusing to accept the deal for days, a development which the called "welcome news."
"This relief legislation is a down payment on what is needed to crush the virus, put money in the pockets of the American people and honor our heroes – our health care workers, first responders, transit and sanitation workers and teachers," Pelosi said in a statement.
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The House Speaker also called on Republicans to back the president’s call to
"We need to ensure robust support for state and local government to distribute and administer a vaccine, keep workers employed and prevent devastating service cuts," Pelosi said, "and we must do so as soon as possible."
Now that the bill has passed the House, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer edged on Republicans and asked if they too would help give Americans the much-needed stimulus checks.
"The House will pass a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks," he before the House vote. "Then I will move to pass it in the Senate. No Democrats will object. Will Senate Republicans?
The bill signed by Trump only authorizes direct checks of $600 for people earning up to $75,000 per year. The amount decreases for higher earners, with those making over $95,000 getting nothing.
There’s an additional $600 per child stimulus payment.
The bill also creates a new $300 weekly unemployment supplement and replenishes a forgivable loan program for small businesses.
It includes protections against evictions and money for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and cash-strapped transit systems. But the legislative package also includes measures unrelated to the pandemic, such as creating new criminal penalties including prison time for violating copyright laws with online streaming.
In a statement Sunday night, the president said he would ask for .
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"I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed," Trump said.
The but that has now been extended to September 30, 2021.
While the president insisted he would send Congress "a redlined version" with items to be removed under the rescission process, those are merely suggestions to Congress, reports.
Still, on Sunday night.
"The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now," said . "I thank the President for signing this relief into law."
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The President railed against the combination package last week – even though the bipartisan final plan was negotiated by the top four Congressional leaders and his own point man Mnuchin.
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The plan passed with 359 votes in the House and 92 votes in the Senate.
Had the President not signed the package, the government would have shut down at the end of the year.
Trump signs $900billion pandemic aid and spending bill
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