Associated Press
- With Trump’s surprise support for $2,000 stimulus checks, Democratic leadership and the progressive wing of the party have rallied in support of the amendment.
- Many representatives, including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been calling for $2,000 stimulus checks since the spring, and are piling pressure on Mitch McConnell to make it happen.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for a “unanimous consent” hearing of the new proposal.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Democratic members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus reacted positively to Trump’s call for $2,000 stimulus checks, a sum that several progressive members began advocating for in March.
After Trump released a meandering 10-minute-long video address in which he called for more robust stimulus checks, Democrat leaders instantly signaled that they would support the higher checks with “unanimous consent.”
“Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted. “Let’s do it!” she added.
The current stimulus bill, which Trump criticized and signalled he would reject unless checks were increased, calls for $600 for each American making under $75,000 a year.
“Let’s do it. @RashidaTlaib and I already co-wrote the COVID amendment for $2,000 checks, so it’s ready to go. Glad to see the President is willing to support our legislation.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Ocasio-Cortez called for $2,000 stimulus checks when the pandemic began in March and reiterated that call last week. "We can pass $2k checks this week if the Senate GOP agrees to stand down," Ocasio-Cortez added.
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 23, 2020
Representative Rashida Tlaib also heeded the call. "Me and @AOC have the amendment ready." Tlaib tweeted Tuesday. "Send the bill back, and we will put in the $2,000 we've been fighting for that your party has been blocking." Tlaib added, sharing a photo of the drafted amendment.
Representative Ayanna Pressley also signalled that regardless of Trump's motives, she'd support "whatever gets my constituents survival checks. People's lives are at stake."
—Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) December 23, 2020
Representative Ilhan Omar kept it short and sweet, tweeting, "Mitch don't be the only reason people don't get $2000, let's do this."
Bernie Sanders also reacted positively, reminding that he, along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Senator Ed Markey, called for $2,000 direct payments at the outset of the pandemic.
"That's great! I first introduced a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment with @SenKamalaHarris & @EdMarkey 7 months ago." Sanders tweeted.
—Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 23, 2020
"Now, Mr. President, get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it and we can provide working class Americans with $2,000." Sanders added, echoing the same call to action to Mitch McConnell as many of his colleagues.