On Thursday, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a new bill seeking to provide a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks to the American people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The proposal came amid faltering negotiations on Capitol Hill regarding several new stimulus packages brought forth to approve aid by the end of the year. Only one of those packages – a $916 billion White House proposal – included another direct round of payments to the American people.
While the White House’s plan proposes cutting the payments from the first round in half to $600, Hawley’s proposal mimics the CARES Act. Passed in late March, with the first payments being distributed by the IRS in mid-April, that bill had provided $1,200 payments for individuals who made up to $75,000. It also provided $500 for eligible dependents. Hawley confirmed in a press release that his proposal would be modeled after that initial wave of payments and expressed a dire need for such a provision to be approved now.
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“It would be a dereliction of duty if Congress adjourns for Christmas without having a vote on providing working families with direct payments. Working people are struggling. And they should be the first people given relief, not last,” he said. “The crisis of rising unemployment claims, ever-expanding food lines, evictions, and growing credit card debt has been staring us in the face for months. It’s time we do something about it and provide emergency relief to Americans.”
Amid the ongoing negotiations, Hawley has risen as a leading advocate for stimulus checks among Republicans. Hawley, a potential 2024 contender, revealed that over the weekend, he urged President Donald Trump to reject any bill that does not include more stimulus checks, stating that he is “continuing to be flummoxed as to why there aren’t any direct payments.” The Hill reports that Hawley noted “everybody supported this in March” and dubbed the second round of direct payments as “the most useful, helpful and frankly popular aspect.”
Speaking with Fox News of his efforts to bring such relief to Americans, the senator again reiterated the importance of stimulus checks, stating, “the most important thing that Congress can do is send direct assistance checks to every working family who needs them.” Hawley added that “if Congress cannot agree, I will go to the floor and ask for an up-or-down vote on direct assistance to families.”
Hawley’s bill is a bipartisan proposal brought forth with Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said stimulus checks “would help desperate families pay rent and heating bills, put food on the table, and be able to go to the doctor.” Sanders added, “Congress cannot go on recess without providing this $1,200 emergency assistance to the American people in their time of need.”
