McConnell shuts door on boosted $2,000 pandemic relief payment vote, says the Senate will not be 'bullied'
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell effectively shut the door on allowing a vote on a bill that would boost pandemic relief checks from $600 to $2,000.
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Republicans like McConnell have previously said they are concerned about the half-trillion-dollar price tag of the $2,000 payments that would add to the national debt.
On the Senate floor Wednesday, McConnell attacked House Democrats for wanting to send a "boatload of cash" to people making six figures who aren't in need, saying it doesn't make sense to support Americans who haven't lost income due to the pandemic.
"The Senate's not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help," McConnell said.
He said Congress needs to send "smart targeted aid. Not another firehose of money."
McConnell also said he will not split the $2,000 relief payment bill from a repeal of Section 230 or the creation of an election fraud commission.
"The Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that President Trump linked together," McConnell said, which means the bill, if the Senate does intend to vote on it, is unlikely to ever become law.
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer tried again Wednesday to unanimously pass the House standalone bill that swaps out the $600 payments for $2,000, but McConnell objected. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also tried to pass the House bill unanimously, but GOP Sen. Pat Toomey objected.
- ABC News’ Mariam Khan