Senate Republicans haven't supported additional stimulus payments. Trump says it's Democrats' fault.
President Trump doesn't seem to be connecting with his own party on this one.
As a form of economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic, Trump on Wednesday called for another round of direct stimulus payments for individual Americans, blaming "heartless" Democrats for the fact that there haven't been any since the CARES Act was passed in March. The criticism isn't unusual — Trump, his allies, and the GOP at large have suggested Democrats are holding up coronavirus relief negotiations to push a larger party agenda through. But the president's comments also make it seem like Republicans are championing direct payments — "Go for the much higher numbers, Republicans," he tweeted — when, recently, that hasn't been the direction GOP lawmakers have been moving.
In fact, the last coronavirus relief bill introduced by Senate Republicans excluded direct payments, while House Democrats passed a stalled relief package in May that did include a second round of $1,200 direct payments. Tim O'Donnell
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Democrats push for ICE accountabilityFeature U.S. citizens shot and violently detained by immigration agents testify at Capitol Hill hearing
-
The price of sporting gloryFeature The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics kicked off this week. Will Italy regret playing host?
-
Fulton County: A dress rehearsal for election theft?Feature Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is Trump's de facto ‘voter fraud’ czar
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
