Stimulus Check: Mitch McConnell Made $3,300 This Week Amid Block of One-Time $2,000 Payment for Americans

Over the past week, lawmakers, including President Donald Trump, advocated for Americans' $2,000 stimulus checks. The House and the Senate previously passed COVID-19 relief legislation that provided for $600 stimulus checks. While a measure to increase those payments passed in the House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly blocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from approving the Senate's measure. In the midst of this news, it has been reported that McConnell made $3,300 this week even though he continuously blocked measures to increase much-needed stimulus payments for Americans.

According to Newsweek, McConnell was paid $3,300 of United States government money this week, even though he spent that week trying to block increased stimulus payments to Americans. This piece of news was reported on the same day that McConnell, for the third time this week, blocked Schumer and various other lawmakers' efforts to increase stimulus payments. While speaking on the Senate floor, the Kentucky Republican even referred to $2,000 payments as "socialism for rich people." During his remarks, McConnell criticized Democrats for following Trump's demands for increased stimulus payments while ignoring his two other issues with the recent COVID-19 legislation — repealing key legal protections for big tech firms and the president's baseless claims that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

"Socialism for rich people is a terrible way to help the American families that are actually struggling," McConnell said. "Let me say that again. Borrowing from our grandkids to do socialism for rich people is a terrible way to get help to families who actually need it." On Wednesday, the senator once again spoke to his fellow lawmakers and said that the proposal to increase the amount for stimulus checks "had no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate." He said, "The Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to address two of them. The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help."

It has been over nine months since Congress passed the first stimulus package, the CARES Act. Under that bill, eligible Americans received a one-time check worth $1,200. Given that it has been some time since they passed this Act and the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a great problem for Americans everywhere, many were eager to see additional government assistance. However, when it comes to stimulus payments, Americans can likely only expect to receive $600, barring any additional measures that Congress manages to pass.