Graham Urges McConnell To Hold Stand-Alone Vote On $2K Relief Checks In New Congress

UNITED STATES - JULY 2: Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the “Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (EARN IT) Act of 2020,” and judicial nominations in Russell Building on Thursday, July 2, 2020.(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on July 2, 2020.(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to hold a stand-alone vote on Democrats’ push for $2,000 COVID-19 stimulus checks after the new Congress begins on January 3.

Graham told “Fox and Friends” that he believed the House’s bill increasing the $600 checks to $2000, a measure Trump supports, would pass the Senate, but that there would be “no way” to get a vote on it before the current Congress ends this week.

“I’d like a stand-alone vote in the new Congress on the $2,000 check,” the senator said.

Graham noted Trump’s two other demands besides the relief payment increase: A repeal of Section 230, which shields social media platforms from liability, and the creation of a commission that would boost the President’s false claims of mass voter fraud.

“I’m urging Senator McConnell to give a stand-alone vote in the new Congress after January 3 on all three measures,” Graham said.

“And I would predict that if you had a stand-alone vote on the $2,000 check, it’s better than 50-50 it would pass,” he added.

The South Carolina Republican’s proposal marks a break from McConnell’s attempt to poison pill the stimulus check increase by tying it to a package with a Section 230 repeal and the commission, two conditions Democrats are unlikely to approve.

McConnell has shot down Senate Democrats’ efforts to bring the bill to a vote on its own this week, claiming on Wednesday that there was “no realistic path to quickly pass” it.

On Tuesday, Graham said he supported Trump’s call for $2,000 checks, the commission, and the repeal but did not call for a stand-alone vote. He also asserted that the relief payment increases would only pass if Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) survived the Georgia runoffs on January 5.

Watch Graham’s comments on Thursday below:

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Notable Replies

  1. Snakes on a Plane: Republican Version

  2. It’s pretty easy to posture like this when you know nothing will actually happen…we’ll see if Graham has the same thing to say if Ossoff and Warnock win the GA races and Schumer brings the bill to the floor.

  3. I’m beginning to think McConnell thinks the GOP is better served by suffering through 2 years as the minority so that riling their base will be easier for 2022.

  4. Kompromat leakage worrying Miz Lindz?

  5. Avatar for docd docd says:

    I agree. He also knows that we’re going to have to address the deficit at some point, and he wants to have the Dems take the blame for any blowback.

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