House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday endorsed President Donald Trump’s demand to increase coronavirus relief checks for the American people.
“Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent,” Pelosi wrote on Twitter. “Let’s do it!”
The president demanded in a video posted to Twitter Tuesday night that Congress increase the payments from $600 to $2,000.
The massive 5,593-page bill was passed by both the House and the Senate on Monday night but immediately drew criticism for sending billions of dollars of aid to foreign countries but only $600 relief checks to Americans.
The president did not say he would veto the bill but demanded that Congress amend it before sending it to his desk.
Pelosi claimed that Republican negotiators refused to say during their negotiations what President Trump actually wanted regarding direct checks.
“At last, the President has agreed to $2,000,” she wrote.
Pelosi previously refused any compromises with Republicans during the 2020 presidential campaign, including a stand-alone measure offering direct payments to Americans.
On October 8th, Pelosi refused to pass a stand-alone bill.
“No that’s not going to happen,” Pelosi said when asked about the president’s proposal of a stand-alone direct payment bill.
She added, “Ain’t going to be no stand-alone bill unless there is a bigger bill.”
Many Senate Republicans opposed the idea of including a second round of direct checks to Americans as part of the relief bill.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) demanded that it be included and Senate negotiators ultimately settled on $600 checks for individuals and $600 per child.