Trump push on $2K checks flops as GOP-led Senate won't vote

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but shut door on President Donald Trump's push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks, declaring Congress has provided eugh pandemic aid as he blocked ar attempt by Democrats to force a vote.

GOP leader made clear Wednesday he is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump and even some fellow Republican senators demanding action. Trump wants recent $600 in aid increased threefold. But McConnell dismissed idea of bigger “survival checks” approved by House, saying money would go to plenty of American households that just don't need it.

McConnell's refusal to act means additional relief Trump wanted is all but dead.

"We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago," McConnell said, referring to year-end pack Trump signed into law. McConnell added, "if specific, struggling households still need more help,” Senate will consider “smart targeted aid. t ar firehose of borrowed money.”

showdown between outgoing president and his own Republican Party over $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office.

It's one last standoff, toger with override of Trump’s veto of a sweeping defense bill, that will punctuate president's final days and deepen GOP's divide between its new wing of Trump-styled populists and what had been mainstay conservative views against government spending.

Trump has been berating GOP leaders, and tweeted, “$2000 ASAP!” President-elect Joe Biden also supports payments and wants to build on what he calls a “downpayment” on relief.

“In this moment of historic crisis and untold ecomic pain for countless American families, President-elect supports $2,000 direct payments as passed by House," said Biden transition spokesman Andrew Bates.

roadblock set by Senate Republicans appears insurmountable. Most GOP senators seemed to accept inaction even as a growing number of Republicans, including two senators in ruff elections on Jan. 5 in Georgia, agree with Trump's demand, some wary of bucking him.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said $600 checks would begin to go out Wednesday. Congress had settled on smaller payments in a compromise over big, year-end COVID-19 relief and government funding bill that Trump reluctantly signed into law. Before signing, though, Trump demanded more.

For a second day in a row, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tried to force a vote on bill approved by House meeting Trump’s demand for $2,000 checks. “What we’re seeing right w is Leader McConnell trying to kill checks — $2,000 checks desperately needed by so many American families,” Schumer said.

With Georgia Senate ruff elections days away, leading Republicans warned that GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as virus worsens could jeopardize outcome of those races.

Georgia’s GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to fend off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warck in ruff elections that will determine which party has Senate majority. two Republicans anunced support for Trump’s call for more generous checks. “ Senate Republicans risk throwing away two seats and control of Senate,” Newt Gingrich, former congressional leader, said on Fox News.

McConnell has tried to shield his divided Republicans from a difficult vote. On Wednesday he suggested he had kept his word to start a “process” to address Trump’s demands, even if it means votes will actually be taken. “It’s secret Republicans have a diversity of views,” he said.

Earlier, McConnell had unveiled a new bill loaded up with Trump's or priorities as a possible off-ramp for stalemate. It included $2,000 checks more narrowly targeted to lower-income households as well as a complicated repeal of protections for tech companies like Facebook or Twitter under Section 230 of a communications law that president complained is unfair to conservatives. It also tacked on establishment of a bipartisan commission to review 2020 presidential election Trump lost to President-elect Joe Biden.

If McConnell sets a vote on his bill, it could revive Trump's priorities. But because approach contains additional tech and elections provisions, Democrats and some Republicans will likely balk and it's unlikely to have eugh support in Congress to pass.

additional votes on COVID-19 aid have been scheduled at this point. For McConnell, procedural moves allowed him to check box over commitments he made when Trump was defiantly refusing to sign off on big year-end pack last weekend. “That was a commitment, and that’s what happened,” he said. Liberal senators, led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who support relief boost are blocking action on a defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump's demand for $2,000 for most Americans.

Sanders thundered on floor that McConnell should call his own constituents in GOP leader's home state of Kentucky “and find out how y feel about need for immediate help in terms of a $2,000 check.”

Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among party's potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, also pushed in president's direction. Hawley is also leading Trump's challenge Jan. 6 to Electoral College result tally in Congress.

Or Republicans panned bigger checks, arguing during a lively Senate debate that nearly $400 billion price tag was too high, relief is t targeted to those in need and Washington has already dispatched ample sums on COVID-19 aid. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., tweeted that “blindly borrowing” billions “so we can send $2,000 checks to millions of people who haven’t lost any income is terrible policy.”

Considered a longshot, Trump's demand gained momentum at start of week when dozens of House Republicans calculated it was better to link with most Democrats than defy outgoing president. y helped pass a bill raising payments with a robust two-thirds vote of approval.

As Trump's push fizzles out, his attempt to amend year-end pack — $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $1.4 trillion to fund government ncies through September — will linger as potentially one last confrontation before new Congress is sworn in Sunday.

COVID-19 portion of bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $300, through March 14 — as well as popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund. Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and re's an additional $600 payment per dependent child.