• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Sophia Bush’s girlfriend ‘proud’ the actress has opened up about coming out as queer
  • Mel B declares she’ll ‘always be open’ when it comes to her sexuality!
  • Megan Thee Stallion being sued for ‘forcing cameraman watch her having lesbian sex!’

Democrats Urged to Fight for Bigger Relief Checks as Lame-Duck Trump Privately Backs Payments as Big as $2,000

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams December 18, 2020 Leave a Comment

Mitch McConnell

In the wake of news that lame-duck President Donald Trump on Thursday was dissuaded by White House aides from publicly demanding stimulus checks as large as $2,000 in the next relief package, progressives called on Democratic leaders to use the leverage offered by Trump's behind-the-scenes push to demand more than the $600 payments currently on the table.

The Washington Post‘s Jeff Stein reported late Thursday that the outgoing president “was in the middle of formally drafting his demand for the larger payments when White House officials told him that doing so could imperil delicate negotiations over the economic relief package.”

Trump was preparing to demand one-time direct payments of “at least” $1,200 per person and as large as $2,000, according to Stein. “Trump ultimately did not call for the larger stimulus payments,” Stein noted. “His only public comments on the matter came in the morning when he wrote that ‘stimulus talks [are] looking very good.'”

Direct payments of $1,200 per person would be double the size of the checks congressional negotiators are currently considering in a relief package that could be finalized and passed within days. Progressive lawmakers, and one Republican senator, have been vocally urging congressional leaders to include larger direct payments as tens of millions of people across the U.S. struggle to afford basic necessities.

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced an amendment last week calling for payments of $1,200 per working-class adult and $500 per child; members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are publicly demanding checks of “at least” $2,000.

BREAKING: White House aides intervened Thursday to prevent President Trump from demanding Congress approve checks of $2K/person, sources say

Trump told allies he wants "at least" $1,200 & as much as $2K

Aides told Trump his demands could blow up talkshttps://t.co/EjcMXoS7in

— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) December 18, 2020

While a substantial change in the size of direct payments is unlikely at this stage of the relief negotiations, Democrats are facing pressure to use Trump's apparent desire for larger payments and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) expressed need for a deal to fight for the inclusion of bigger checks.

“Trump is privately demanding $2,000 stimulus checks. McConnell is quietly fretting over Georgia,” Sawyer Hackett, senior adviser to Julián Castro, tweeted Thursday, referring to the Kentucky Republican's warning Wednesday that Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) “getting hammered” over the GOP's opposition to direct payments.

“Democrats control the leverage, they should demand larger stimulus in the package being negotiated,” Hackett said.

Others lamented Democratic leaders' failure to push for larger checks earlier in the process and argued they have let McConnell walk all over them in the latest round of relief talks.

“Democrats are supposed to be party of the people and yet it's Trump who is asking for bigger stimulus checks,” tweeted Murshed Zaheed of Megaphone Strategies. “Unacceptable that neither Biden nor Pelosi/Schumer are pushing publicly for bigger stimulus checks ($2,500) when they have leverage over McConnell.”

Progressive organizer Kai Newkirk added:

Pro-tip for Democrats:

Don't ever let Donald effing Trump be pushing for bigger direct relief checks than you are.#SurvivalChecksNow https://t.co/mTF5GoHXB8

— Kai Newkirk (@kai_newkirk) December 18, 2020

Adam Jentleson, public affairs director at Democracy Forward and former aide to retired Sen. Harry Reid, said Thursday that “with Mnuchin endorsing a $1.8 trillion proposal in October that included $1,200 checks, $400 UI, and $300 billion in state/local, and with Trump still actively trying to increase direct checks, there is simply no way to argue that Dem leaders secured the best deal possible.”

“McConnell ate their lunch,” Jentleson argued, warning against the assumption that Congress will be able to pass another relief package under a Biden presidency. “Republicans will repeat the obstructionist playbook they ran under Obama.”

While the details of the relief agreement are not yet final, The Hill reported Thursday that McConnell is “getting much of what he wants in an emerging coronavirus relief package, after months of digging in his heels against a demand by Democratic leaders to pass a multi-trillion-dollar package that would shore up the ailing finances of state and local governments.”

“The GOP leader isn't getting liability protection for businesses and other organizations but McConnell himself last week proposed dropping that controversial item along with another large tranche of funding for state and local government,” The Hill noted. “McConnell is getting a deal a lot closer to what Democrats dismissed as the 'emaciated' plan he pushed in recent months than the $2.2 trillion HEROES Act that Pelosi and Schumer said should have been the ‘starting point' of the talks.”

Congressional leaders have voiced confidence that they are close to finalizing a coronavirus relief deal and sweeping spending legislation to keep the government funded through next September. Lawmakers are likely to work into the weekend to complete both measures.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), one of few lawmakers who urged the Democratic leadership to run with the White House's pre-election offer of a $1.8 trillion relief package, tweeted Thursday that “thanks to ⁦⁦Bernie Sanders' stand and progressive advocacy, we will get checks for the American people” in the upcoming agreement.

“But let's have the honesty and decency not to spin this package as a kind of victory or negotiation success,” Khanna added. “People have the right to expect more.”

Topics: Business, Politics, Republicans, towleroad More Posts About: Chuck Schumer, coronavirus, Covid-19, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi

Related Posts
  • US restores handful of wildlife protections axed by Trump
  • Kathy Griffin Says Donald Trump Supporters Are ‘Crazed Over Me’ Years After Gruesome Head Photo Went Viral
  • Donald Trump Demands ‘Guaranteed Immunity’ for Presidents While Bizarrely Citing Pedophile Priests and ‘Bad Apple’ Cops
  • Mel B declares she’ll ‘always be open’ when it comes to her sexuality!

    Mel B declares she’ll ‘always be open’ when it comes to her sexuality!

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Mel B will “always be open” when it comes to her sexuality. The Spice Girls singer, 48, who reunited with her bandmates including the group's ex-singer Victoria Beckham for the fashion …Read More »
  • Megan Thee Stallion being sued for ‘forcing cameraman watch her having lesbian sex!’

    Megan Thee Stallion being sued for ‘forcing cameraman watch her having lesbian sex!’

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Megan Thee Stallion is being sued for allegedly creating a hostile work environment and forcing her cameraman to watch her having lesbian sex. The 29-year-old ‘Savage' rapper faces the salacious claims …Read More »
  • Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett recalls the moment his life ‘changed forever’

    Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett recalls the moment his life ‘changed forever’

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Bennett's life was “changed forever” by his role in ‘Mean Girls'. The 42-year-old actor starred as heartthrob Aaron Samuels in the 2004 cult classic – which followed Lindsay Lohan, Rachel …Read More »
  • Sir Elton John sent Lance Bass gift basket to celebrate coming out

    Sir Elton John sent Lance Bass gift basket to celebrate coming out

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John sent Lance Bass a gift basket after he came out as gay. The 44-year-old NSYNC star revealed the legendary singer showed his support when Lance decided to reveal …Read More »
Previous Post: « Michael Flynn: Trump Can Take Military and Re-Run Election in Swing States — WATCH
Next Post: Police Investigating Hate Crime After Gay Couple Finds Gingerbread Men Xmas Decorations Smeared with Feces, Placed Near Pride Flag »

Primary Sidebar

Most Recent

  • Sophia Bush’s girlfriend ‘proud’ the actress has opened up about coming out as queer

    Sophia Bush’s girlfriend ‘proud’ the actress has opened up about coming out as queer

  • Mel B declares she’ll ‘always be open’ when it comes to her sexuality!

    Mel B declares she’ll ‘always be open’ when it comes to her sexuality!

  • Megan Thee Stallion being sued for ‘forcing cameraman watch her having lesbian sex!’

    Megan Thee Stallion being sued for ‘forcing cameraman watch her having lesbian sex!’

  • Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett recalls the moment his life ‘changed forever’

    Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett recalls the moment his life ‘changed forever’

  • Sir Elton John sent Lance Bass gift basket to celebrate coming out

    Sir Elton John sent Lance Bass gift basket to celebrate coming out

  • Relationship status influences heterosexual women’s sexual prejudice towards lesbians

    Relationship status influences heterosexual women’s sexual prejudice towards lesbians

  • JoJo Siwa had a challenge transitioning to new grown-up image

    JoJo Siwa had a challenge transitioning to new grown-up image

  • Liz Hurley defends lesbian sex scene in new movie that was directed by her son

    Liz Hurley defends lesbian sex scene in new movie that was directed by her son

Partner Links

  • Five Years Ago Today, George Floyd Was Murdered
    May 25, 2020 is a dark day in the history of […]
  • Mike Johnson Says He 'Hasn't Even Heard About' Trump's Unethical Crypto Dinner
    House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) downplayed President Donald Trump's "private" dinner […]
  • Trump FDA Commissioner Complains About 'Throwing Insulin" To People With Diabetes
    Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary argued that insulin […]
  • C&L's Late Night Music Club With ROSÉ - 'On The Ground'
    I was looking for something newish and I found Blackpink's ROSÉ […]
  • Cher on 60 years of fame, making music, movies, writing her memoir and giving back
    Pop icon, movie star and conservationist Cher’s career spans an incredible […]

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

About

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy
[towleroadmr] [towleroadtn]

Footer

Ptown Hacks 2018

Read

  • Travel
  • Film
  • Law – LGBT Rights
  • Columns
  • Specials

About

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Log in

×
×