House passes bill to boost stimulus checks to $2,000

The House voted Monday to send $2,000 stimulus checks to qualifying Americans, rather than the $600 direct payments included in the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill passed last week. The new legislation, which required a two-thirds majority vote, passed narrowly, 275 to 134.

Republicans accounted for 130 of the no votes, with the remaining four split evenly between Democrats and independents. President Trump came out strongly against the $600 checks and appeared at some points ready to veto the entire relief bill unless the figure jumped to $2,000.

Many Democratic lawmakers were on board with the increase, but Republicans have been more hesitant, as reflected by the House vote. It's unclear whether the Senate will also pass the bill, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has yet to indicate whether he will even take it up. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up