Joe Biden says $600 stimulus checks are too little money as he pushes for $2,000 after Trump called for larger Covid aid
JOE Biden said on Sunday that $600 stimulus checks are too little money and continued to push for $2,000 after President Donald Trump previously called for larger Covid aid.
The 78-year-old president-elect took to Twitter as Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the House “will proceed” with the articles of impeachment against Trump in the wake of the Capitol Hill riots.
Biden tweeted: “$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table.
“We need $2,000 stimulus checks.”
His push for more money comes about one month after Trump first urged the coronavirus relief bill to have a round of $2,000 direct payments.
The president also challenged Congress to remove “unnecessary” funding.
New $2,000 stimulus checks could be on their way after the Democrats won control of the Senate in the Georgia run-offs.
The election of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock means the party now controls Congress ahead of Biden becoming president on January 20.
Americans will likely have a better chance at a third relief check with the parties on 50 seats each and the casting vote going to the soon-to-be vice president, Kamala Harris.
During his campaign Ossoff said he spoke with Biden and the stimulus checks will be issued within two and a half weeks of this election if he won the Senate seat.
“The House has already passed the $2,000 dollar checks,” he told WGXA.
“This new Senate that is going to take office this weekend will pass the legislation early next week. We will get the checks in the mail and relief coming.”
Ossoff said he wanted “economic relief for the American people who are suffering through no fault of their own through this Covid-19 pandemic, and supporting the public health response.”
Biden said he is working on a new Covid relief package which would give $2,000 payments to Americans and urged a “need to provide more immediate relief for families and businesses now.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed that $2,000 stimulus checks for Americans will be “one of the first things” a Democrat-led Senate will do.
But that could come up against opposition from Democratic Senator Joe Manchin despite Biden wanting them issued “immediately.”
The 73-year-old senator told The Washington Post on Thursday that he is “absolutely not” willing to to sign off $2,000 – but later admitted he would support something if it helped people truly in need.
Meanwhile the $600 stimulus checks are on their way with people getting them sent directly told to watch out for a plain envelope.
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The much needed Covid relief payment will be in a white envelope with the Treasury seal with people being warned not to throw them out as some did during the first round of payments.
It comes as the IRS reportedly sent $600 stimulus checks to more than 13million closed or invalid bank accounts.
People across the United States who used online tax services are among the millions of Americans who may have had their stimulus check sent to the wrong bank account.