National File Multiple sources reported Tuesday that Sanders told Hill reporters that McConnell’s proposal is “a poison [pill]. I don’t know what he has in mind, but the House passed, to their credit, a simple straight forward bill. Let’s not muddy the waters. Are you for $2,000 or are you not?”
From colleague Jason Donner. Sanders on McConnell packaging $2,000 checks with something on voter fraud: Of course it’s a poison (pill).. Let’s not muddy the waters. Are you for $2,000 or are you not?”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 29, 2020
Murphy on efforts to add Section 230 reforms to House-passed $2K direct payments bill: "If we start adding poison pills to the $2,000 payment bill, that is just another way of telling the American people that this body doesn't support $2,000 payments."
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) December 29, 2020
President Donald Trump responded to McConnell’s announcement with a tweet Tuesday afternoon that read, “Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP. $600 IS NOT ENOUGH! Also, get rid of Section 230 – Don’t let Big Tech steal our Country, and don’t let the Democrats steal the Presidential Election. Get tough!”
Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP. $600 IS NOT ENOUGH! Also, get rid of Section 230 – Don’t let Big Tech steal our Country, and don’t let the Democrats steal the Presidential Election. Get tough! https://t.co/GMotstu7OI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2020
With a few notable exceptions such as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), prominent Democrats have only recently shifted to support $2,000 stimulus payments after taking notes of the overwhelmingly positive public response to President Trump’s calls for higher direct payments.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had previously described the paltry $600 direct payments included in the congressional “relief bill” as a “significant” amount.
President Trump has been advocating for $2,000 direct payments for several months, and appears to be pressuring Senate Republicans to bundle the stimulus with one another one of his most valuable wish list items: investigations into voter fraud.
“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” a statement from the White House said on Sunday.
