House support increased COVID-19 stimulus aid of $2,000 [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The Lower House has approved the additional coronavirus $2,000 direct check payment bill that would help many Americans, especially this coming Holiday Seasons.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commended Trump’s action, saying that Congress and the president is united on the bill.
• The bill’s advancement is now up to the approval of the Republican-led Senate, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying that he’ll try to pass the legislation with a unanimous vote.    

On late Monday evening, the Democratic-led lower House closely passed a bill that will increase direct COVID-19 relief check payments to some Americans to $2,000, although the proposal is to face some challenges in the Republican-dominated Senate despite backing from President Donald Trump.

The bill would make the $600 direct aid to people whose income was not more than $75,000 the previous year to $2,000. And since the legislation was opened up by accelerated procedure, it will need a two-thirds majority vote to be approved. It went through at 275 to 134, a little over two votes more than the required 273.

Trump asserted on making the payment aid higher following his administration’s earlier deal for $600 checks as part of a COVID-19 relief and government disbursements package, which was both given a green light in the Houses last week and which the current administration supported for negotiation.

Tweeting from his Florida resort over the weekend, Trump said that he only wishes to give Americans $2,000 instead of the $600 that’s currently on the bill.

Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Speaker,  commended the decision on Monday, saying that the President and the House both agree on the $2,000 check for American families especially it’s the Holiday Season. She also encourages the Senate to pass what they called the CASHAct.

Trump referred to the scheduled House vote in an announcement on Sunday saying that he had officially signed the $2.3 trillion coronavirus stimulus aid and government funding package.

Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader, confirmed that he would attempt to pass the bill on Tuesday with a target of unanimous agreement — a process that would move the bill forward should no one objects it.

The minority leader told reporters on Monday, just before the voting, that he’s urging the President to call the Republicans to be on-board about the $2,000 checks proposal.

The $600 aid is still likely to make it at the end of the week even though Trump had delayed signing, as confirmed by a senior Treasury Department official. Checks might be processed on the following Monday since it’s a federal holiday on Friday.

If the Senate also approves the $2,000 stimulus package, people who have already got the initial $600 will receive another payment of $1,400 to complete the amount.

Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Majority Leader,  commended Trump for certifying the bill on Sunday evening but he did not mention the probable vote on the added relief in his statement.

Source: NBC News