A key congressional Republican said he will support Donald Trump’s demand for $2,000 stimulus checks sent to Americans, just days after his party had thwarted an attempt to increase the size of the payment.
As The Hill reported, New York Rep. Tom Reed said on Sunday that he will join Democrats in voting to provide the $2,000 relief checks that Trump called for in a surprise message last week. The initial stimulus included $600 direct payments to Americans, which Trump slammed as inadequate. Some top Democrats quickly backed Trump’s idea, but Republicans thwarted an effort to change the amount by a unanimous consent vote.
Reed is the co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group that often works to hammer out differences between parties and craft key legislation. Reed said in a statement that he will join Democrats in the new vote set to take place on Monday.
“The American people are hurting,” he said. “Economic stagnation and lockdowns have left many in difficult financial situations.”
“I’ve communicated to the President my support for his directive to increase the total size of stimulus checks to $2,000 per individual and will be voting in favor of the CASH Act tomorrow to do so. It is only fair that we act decisively now to deliver the comprehensive relief individuals desperately need.”
It was not clear if the increased payments had other support in the GOP, where leadership has opposed the larger payments. As The Hill noted, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that the larger amount is not likely to pass the GOP-controlled Senate.
While the demand for a more significant direct payment to Americans has now found backing on both sides of the aisle, many more have criticized Trump for the last minute opposition to the bill that threw the process into disarray. Both parties appeared to have come to an agreement on the new legislation before Trump’s statement last week, but he waited several days before indicating that he would sign the measure. During that time, Trump was vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he was seen golfing as lawmakers from both parties worked on a deal.
As The Hill reported, he finally signed the $2.3 trillion relief package on Sunday night, though said he still wants to see wasteful spending removed. Trump said he would send a redlined version back to Congress with item-by-item changes, insisting that certain items be removed.
