Economic calamity is a very real issue for tens of millions of Americans. Earlier this year, more than 40 million people across the nation lost their jobs when communities opted to shut down in response to COVID-19. Some folks have since regained employment or gotten new positions; however, others have not been as fortunate.
The unemployment numbers continue to affirm that countless Americans are struggling to make ends meet. For weeks on end now, the jobless numbers reported by the Department of Labor eclipsed prognostications made by economists.
Days before Christmas, Congress managed to pass a relief bill that would provide a payment of $600 to most Americans. However, Breitbart News reports that more than 60% of the nation believes a stimulus check of $600 is too minimal.
The Push for Greater Stimulus Checks
Based upon findings from a Business Insider poll, 62% of Americans described $600 stimulus payments as “too small.”
Additional information from the survey furthermore confirms that 43% of Americans favor checks with more than $2,000 while over 75% believe that stimulus payments should surpass $1,000.
Congress has finally passed a targeted COVID bill to give much-needed relief to Americans who've shouldered the weight of this pandemic & provide more vaccine resources. This deal comes at a critical time as vaccines are being distributed. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) December 22, 2020
The general consensus that $600 just doesn’t cut it is supported by President Trump. Earlier this week, the president criticized Congress for only putting forth $600 payments.
After noting the role that China played in the spread of COVID-19 to America, Trump stated that the virus wasn’t Americans’ fault; he also noted that U.S. citizens are deserving of stimulus checks amounting to $2,000.
Republicans Who Voted Against the COVID-19 Congressional Bill
While the aforementioned congressional bill garnered votes from Republicans and Democrats alike, not all GOP members voted in favor.
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul is one of only six Republicans who did not vote in favor of the relief. Paul and other fiscal conservatives in Washington have continued to warn about massive government spending; rather than the government passing one stimulus package after the other, Paul is urging for an economic reopening.
But now that we have that all aired, let’s take some time to celebrate the real holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families. Enjoy a little break if you can, and let’s all pray for a better 2021.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 23, 2020
In regards to the relief bill from Congress, the Republican senator had some choice words. He described members of his party who voted in favor of it as “free money Republicans.” Paul’s assessment also aligns with the views of Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz who dismissed the bill as a “legislative monstrosity.”
What do you think about $600 stimulus checks? Should the government increase the quantity of stimulus payments or simply reopen the economy? We want to know your thoughts in the comments section below!
