Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
State Dems back push for $2K stimulus
In an unlikely alliance, Florida’s Democratic members of Congress applauded President Donald Trump’s push on Wednesday for a bigger stimulus check, saying they have long been on board with getting more money directly into the hands of pandemic-weary Floridians.
Trump threatened Tuesday night to torpedo the hard-fought compromise COVID-19 relief package, blasting the $900 billion bill and broader government funding package as being riddled with unnecessary spending. He called on lawmakers to increase direct payments for most Americans from $600 to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for couples.
His video message posted on Twitter revived the prospect of a federal government shutdown.
Because lawmakers linked the pandemic relief bill to an overarching funding measure, the government would shut down on Dec. 29 if the package is not signed into law.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Trump in a Wednesday tweet to “sign the bill to keep government open!,” while calling on Republicans in Congress to agree to amending the package to include a $2,000 stimulus check.
With COVID relief efforts unsettled in Washington, Trump boarded a Mar-a-Lago-bound plane Wednesday. He is expected to spend the holidays at his resort in Palm Beach.
The final text of the more than 5,000-page bipartisan bill still was being prepared by Congress and was not expected to be sent to the White House for Trump’s signature before Thursday or Friday, an aide said.
Florida Democrats said Wednesday they had long favored a bigger stimulus payment but had met resistance from the Republican-controlled Senate.
“I fully support raising the direct payments to $2,000, a number that was considered unreachable by Republicans during negotiations,” said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, who represents the West Palm Beach area. “House Democrats are willing to bring a standalone bill to increase the payments, and if Trump is serious, he must call on Republicans in Congress to agree.”
U.S. Rep Ted Deutch, another South Florida Democrat, tweeted “President Trump and (House Democrats) are ready to pass legislation to increase direct relief checks to $2,000.”
U.S. Rep. Darren Soto said the people he represents in Central Florida desperately need help. Not only does the package include direct payments for Floridians but it also has dollars for Everglades restoration, space flight and other Florida priorities. The package includes an additional weekly unemployment payment of $300.
“We are prepared to meet the president’s request,” Soto said. “President Trump is going to need to get the Senate Republicans on board.”
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott was one of six senators to vote against the COVID-19 relief bill. In a statement, he said he supported some provisions of the bill but thought it was too expensive.
“New spending today will be paid for by increased federal debt and result in a tax increase on families down the road,” he said in a prepared statement.
A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio did not respond to a request for comment on whether he would support a $2,000 stimulus payment.
Pelosi said she would offer the proposal for a bigger stimulus check for a vote on Thursday. But it would be offered under a procedure that allows just one lawmaker to block a vote and during a so-called pro forma session, with few lawmakers expected to attend. Republicans in the Senate would also need to unanimously agree to the change, which appeared unlikely Wednesday.
Trump did not specifically vow to veto the bill, and there may be enough support for the legislation in Congress to override him if he does. The Senate cleared the huge relief package by a 92-6 vote after the House approved it by another lopsided vote, 359-53. Those votes totals would be enough to override a veto should Trump decide to take that step.
But if the legislation does fail, the consequences would be severe, including no federal aid to struggling Americans and small businesses, and no additional resources to help with vaccine distribution.
The relief package includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems, an increase in food stamp benefits and about $4 billion to help other nations provide a COVID-19 vaccine for their people.
Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted Congress when asked about the political squabbling during a news conference in Pensacola, saying the package had grown to large and strayed from providing help to working class Americans.
“It showed exactly why we need term limits for members for Congress. ... There could have been more relief targeted at people who have been hurt since the coronavirus started,” he said.