Senate rejects speedy approval of the $ 2,000 check but opens the door for a vote

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer's request on Tuesday to approve by unanimous consent the bill to increase the amount of direct payments included in the second package to $ 2,000. economic relief (now $ 600). 

But McConnell said the Senate

"will begin a process"

this week to consider, together, three demands from President Donald Trump: an increase in the economic stimulus check, a boost in electoral security and the elimination of section 230, which provides protections to technology companies.

[When the $ 600 check will arrive, who qualifies, and what additional assistance does the relief package signed by Trump include]

“Senate Democrats strongly support checks for $ 2,000.

Even Trump supports checks for $ 2,000, "said Schumer," there remains one question: Are Senate Republicans joining the rest of the United States in supporting checks for $ 2,000? "

The decision to link Trump's three lawsuits

could hamper a vote

on the bill to increase the amount of checks, according to The New York Times.

Democrats are unlikely to agree to remove protections for tech companies, which defend social networks like Facebook and Twitter against lawsuits brought by content uploaded to their platforms. 

The decision to increase the aid check is now in the hands of 

the

Republican-majority Senate

.

The aid package has already been signed by Trump, after resisting for almost a week.

[When the $ 600 check will arrive, who qualifies, and what additional assistance does the relief package signed by Trump include]

Republican Senators

Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue

, who are competing in Georgia's runoff elections that will decide which party controls the Senate, announced that they will vote in favor of the bill.

"I have supported the president 100% of the time," Loeffler said in an interview with Fox News, "I am proud to do that and I have said that we absolutely need to bring relief to Americans now, and I will support that."

For his part, Perdue told the television network that passing the $ 2,000 check "is doing the right thing for the people of Georgia."

Next Monday, Trump is scheduled to campaign with Loeffler and Perdue in Georgia to ensure that Republicans retain a majority in the Senate, representing a counterweight to President-elect Joe Biden.

But so far, Republicans have shown

little interest

in increasing that amount.

Just last Thursday, during a brief session on Christmas Eve, lawmakers from the same party as the president blocked Trump's proposal to raise the check in the House of Representatives.

Trump signed the long-awaited $ 900 billion relief package, which includes the $ 600 check and other benefits for the unemployed, small businesses affected by the financial blow of the pandemic, as well as federal funding for 2021.

What have the Republican senators said?

While the approval of the check increase was voted on Monday by a majority of 275 to 134, led by the Democrats (in which 44 Republicans joined), the result of this Tuesday's session is

uncertain.

So far, Senate Majority Leader

Mitch McConnell

has refused to speak publicly about how he plans to handle the issue.

[Follow our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic]

McConnell welcomed Trump signing the bill Sunday night, but did not mention in his statement what his caucus would vote.

Roy Blunt

, a Republican senator from Missouri and chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, told reporters last week that even if the measure were up for a vote in the Senate,

it would still

fall short

of the 60-vote threshold

required for passage.

But at least one Senate Republican,

Florida

Congressman

Marc Rubio

, indicated he

would support the additional payments.

House of Representatives rejects Trump's veto on annual defense budget

Dec. 29, 202000: 25

"I share the concern of many of my colleagues about the long-term effects of the additional spending, but we cannot ignore the fact that millions of working-class families across the country still urgently need help," Rubio said in a statement this Monday.

Texas Rep.

 Kevin Brady

, the highest-ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, said Congress had already approved extensive funding during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Nothing in this bill helps anyone get back to work," he noted.

What have the Democrats done?

Democrats have been

pressuring

Republicans these days to support the measure promoted by the outgoing president, a member of his own party.

Otherwise, they would be challenging you.

As some did on Monday when the House of Representatives approved the override of President Donald Trump's veto on the

$ 740 billion defense authorization bill,

in which both Democrats and Republicans went against the president's will.

Senate Democratic leader

Chuck Schumer

warned that he would try to pass the bill Tuesday by

unanimous

consent

.

"These Republican senators have followed you through thick and thin. Get them to act and support the $ 2,000 checks," Schumer urged Trump.

[Stimulus check on hold while Trump vacations in Florida]

Democratic Senator

Bernie Sanders

threatened Monday to delay the Upper House vote to overturn Trump's veto on the defense's annual authorization bill if McConnell fails to act on the new economic relief bill.

"Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell disagrees with a vote for or against to provide the working people of our country with a direct payment of $ 2,000, Congress will not go home by New Year's Eve. "Sanders threatened in a statement.

"Let's do our job," he

added.

Whatever happens… When will the checks arrive?

Payments of $ 600 are expected to begin next week, according to a senior Treasury Department official.

And if the Senate also gives the green light to the $ 2,000 stimulus checks, Americans who have already received the original $ 600 will receive a second payment of $ 1,400 to bring them to $ 2,000, according to news agencies The Associated Press.

With information from AP and NBC News.