WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now/AP) — The House voted Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is uncertain.
Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance. They had settled for smaller $600 payments in a compromise with Republicans over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.
The vote divides Republicans who mostly resist more spending. But many House Republicans joined in support, despite being wary of bucking the president. Senators are set to return to session Tuesday to consider the measure.
Trump signed into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package on Sunday, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans. The deal provides $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as an increase in food stamp benefits.
The House gaveled in for the rare holiday week session to vote on Trump’s unmet demand for larger $2,000 virus relief checks. Democrats who control the House favor the larger stipends, beyond the $600 payments included in the massive COVID bill. But the president’s push for more spending is forcing his Republican allies who oppose the higher payments into a tough spot.
The House chaplain opened in prayer for the lawmakers. “They return to the Capitol with a huge weight lifted from their shoulders, for which a nation is grateful, ” said Rev. Patrick Conroy.
The bill is expected to easily pass the House, but faces resistance Tuesday from the Republican-led Senate.
Now, with the president’s signature, the checks will be at $600 per adult and per dependent child, with caps based on annual income.
“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,” the president said in a statement.
On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought a standalone bill to the House floor to increase check sizes.
Voting was not anticipated until late in the afternoon, when lawmakers will also seek to override Trump’s recent veto of a $740 billion bill setting policy for the Defense Department. If successful, that would be the first veto override of Trump’s presidency.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he would offer Trump’s proposal for $2,000 checks for a vote in Senate this week.
“The House will pass a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks,” Schumer tweeted. “Then I will move to pass it in the Senate.” He said no Democrats will object. “Will Senate Republicans?”
Many of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who control the Senate, oppose the higher relief payments.
Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama counted himself Monday among the opponents of a more generous relief package and Trump’s call for higher payments.
“It’s money we don’t have, we have to borrow to get and we can’t afford to pay back,” he said on “Fox and Friends.” “Someone’s got to show me how we’re going to pay for it. How far before we all go into debilitating insolvency and bankruptcy?”
But Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York said she was open to the idea of $2,000 checks. “Many Americans are in dire need of relief,” she said on the show.
For now, the administration can only begin work sending out the $600 payments.
Unemployment benefits being paid out to about 14 million people through pandemic programs lapsed on Saturday but will be restarted now that Trump has signed the bill.
The relief package extends a moratorium on evictions that was due to expire on Dec. 31, refreshes support for small-business payrolls, provides funding to help schools re-open and aid for the transport industry and vaccine distribution.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. All reporting by Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland of Reuters and Jill Covin, Lisa Mascaro and Andrew Taylor of the AP.
