White House now reportedly pushing for $600 stimulus checks
The White House is reportedly on board with adding stimulus checks to the next COVID-19 relief bill, albeit not very big ones.
As of Tuesday, White House officials are pressing Senate Republicans to add $600 checks to the coronavirus relief bill currently being laid out in Congress, two people tell The Washington Post. The provision is popular among Democrats and an increasing number of Republicans, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and a bipartisan group didn't include it in their stimulus proposals.
Congress granted $1,200 checks to Americans making under $100,000 back in March, but have yet to pass another round of direct payments since. The House, Senate, and White House also haven't agreed to a coronavirus relief package to replace the one that expired at the end of July, and now finally seem on track to pass something before the year ends. Leading Democrats are on board with a $908 billion package bipartisan senators drew up last week, while Trump has backed McConnell's smaller package.
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.
Regardless of which package moves forward, neither includes direct checks to Americans yet. President Trump has privately supported sending out checks up to $2,000, one person in direct communication with him told the Post. But White House officials have reportedly since settled on $600, and are throwing that proposal into the mix of provisions about state and local funding, small business relief, and more under debate this week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Is the ceasefire in Gaza really working?Today's Big Question Neither Israel and Hamas has an interest in a full return to hostilities but ‘brutally simple arithmetic’ in region may scupper peace plan long-term
-
Are boomers the real phone addicts?In The Spotlight There’s an ‘explosion in screentime’ among older people – and they’re more vulnerable to misinformation
-
West End Girl: a ‘tremendously touching’ break-up albumThe Week Recommends Lily Allen’s unfiltered new work is ‘littered with relatable moments’
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
