Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue Support Increasing Payments to $2K: ‘We Need to Get Relief to Americans Now’
Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA), two GOP incumbents who face tight runoffs in the Peach State in one week, suggested on Tuesday they will support increasing direct coronavirus relief payments to the American people, joining Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who recently indicated the same.
“I’ve stood by the president 100 percent of the time. I’m proud to do that and I’ve said, absolutely, we need to get relief to Americans now and I will support that,” Loeffler said when asked about the measure during a Tuesday interview on Fox News.
Similarly, Perdue said he is “delighted to support the President in this $2,000,” telling Fox News’s Sandra Smith that it is “the right thing to do for people in Georgia.”
The House passed the CASH Act on Monday, which increases direct payments from $600 to $2,000, per President Trump’s request, 275-134. Only 44 Republicans supported the measure, with two Democrats objecting to it as well.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where its future remains unknown. It would need 60 votes to pass, requiring support from 12 GOP senators, many of whom have not revealed their position on the matter.
Sen. Rubio released a forceful statement on Monday, explicitly stating that he agrees with Trump’s call to increasing direct payments to the American people to $2,000.
“For months, Republicans tried to pass additional relief for workers, families, and small businesses — only to be rejected by Democrats at every turn,” Rubio said in the statement.
“Remember, months ago Speaker Pelosi and Democrats rejected the Administration’s previous offer of $1,200 per adult and $1,000 per child. Thankfully, she’s finally stopped holding working families hostage,” he continued, though he added that he shares concern over the “long-term effects of additional spending.”
“But we cannot ignore the fact that millions of working class families across the nation are still in dire need of relief,” the Florida senator added. “Congress should quickly pass legislation to increase direct payments to Americans to $2,000.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has also referred to Trump’s call to increase checks as a “reasonable demand,” and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has also been pushing for more direct relief.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has not revealed how he plans to move forward with the call for increasing relief checks in the upper chamber, failing to mention the president’s request in a statement following Trump announcing that he would sign the $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government spending bill.
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