McConnell: House Bill to Increase Checks Has 'No Realistic Path'

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Wednesday said the House stand-alone bill to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 has “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate,” maintaining any action on that front will need to include Section 230 reform and investigations into voter fraud.

McConnell repeated Wednesday that the Senate will not take action on increasing the amount of stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 without addressing two other issues outlined by President Donald Trump.

“Here’s the deal: 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,” McConnell said, noting that the House bill, which does not address the other two issues, has “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.”

“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,” the Kentucky Republican said.

McConnell placed the blame back on Democrats, explaining they hope “everyone just forgets about election integrity and big tech.”

“They’re desperate to ignore those two parts of President Trump’s request,” he said, although Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pressed for an “opportunity for an up-or-down vote.”

McConnell this week presented a measure that raises stimulus checks to $2,000, as well as repeals Section 230 and establishes a commission to investigate allegations of voter fraud.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is among lawmakers pressuring McConnell to take action on increasing direct payments alone.

“He happens to be right on this issue,” Sanders said of Trump’s call to increase payments during an appearance on Fox News.

“I think he is correct in saying that we are living in a terrible, terrible economic moment for tens of millions of working-class families. We fought very hard to get the $600 direct payment,” he continued.

“Trump is right in saying that’s not enough. We need to go to $2,000,” Sanders added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also addressed the issue Wednesday, placing the blame squarely on Republican senators, whom she said have “an endless tolerance for other people’s sadness.”