McConnell ties $2,000 stimulus checks to unrelated Trump demands on tech and election

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Dec 30, 2020

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday blocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's attempt to unanimously pass a bill to increase direct payments in the year-end coronavirus relief package to $2,000.

The Kentucky Republican later Tuesday introduced a bill that would boost the size of the checks to $2,000 from $600, repeal Section 230 legal liability protections for internet platforms and create a commission to study election issues. The bill would meet all of President Donald Trump's recent demands, which are unrelated, but would not get Democratic support and become law.

Through the bill, Republicans would both avoid the act of actually passing $2,000 payments but allow GOP senators running for reelection in Georgia's Jan. 5 runoffs to express support for Trump's priorities.

McConnell brought the chamber back this week with one major goal: overriding Trump's veto of the annual National Defense Authorization Act. He has not yet committed to bringing the $2,000 payment bill up for a vote, and it is unclear now how one would take shape.

He outlined three priorities Trump said he wanted Congress to address when he signed the coronavirus relief and government spending bill into law Sunday: larger direct payments, Section 230 legal liability protections for internet platforms and unfounded concerns about widespread election fraud. He said that "this week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus."

Schumer then called for the Senate to vote on both the defense bill veto override and the $2,000 payments and "let the chips fall where they may." When he asked for unanimous consent to increase the size of the checks, McConnell objected.