$600 COVID Checks May Come This Week; Congress Debates $2k

Many Americans may find themselves at least $600 richer on Wednesday morning.

The U.S. Treasury Department says the recently-approved $600 COVID-19 stimulus payments began arriving in some Americans’ bank accounts by direct deposit on Tuesday night. Paper checks are starting to go out on Wednesday — even as Democrats and President Donald Trump are embroiled in a contentious haggling session with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Kentucky Republican on Tuesday blocked quick passage of a House-approved bipartisan measure to increase the checks to $2,000, prompting Trump to suggest Republicans “have a death wish.” Democrats hope to force McConnell to hold a vote this week.

The stimulus plan pays $600 for each individual in your household including dependents aged 16 and younger.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who negotiated the $600 checks with congressional leaders only to be blindsided by Trump, who called the payments “measly,” noted on Twitter that the payments would start going out Tuesday night and continue into next week.

“Treasury and the IRS are working with unprecedented speed to issue a second round of Economic Impact Payments to eligible Americans and their families,” Mnuchin said in a statement. “These payments are an integral part of our commitment to providing vital additional economic relief to the American people during this unprecedented time.”

The payments are the second round of checks sent to Americans since the pandemic began. Democrats are using the final few days of the 2020 congressional session to press for bigger checks that they’ve always advocated, an argument bolstered for more than a week by Trump and picking up steam among some Republicans.

More than 40 GOP House members voted in favor of increasing checks on Monday, and at least five senators have publicly expressed support. At least 12 Republican senators would need to be on board, along with all 48 members of the Democratic Caucus, in order for $2,000 checks to clear the Senate and land on Trump’s desk.

McConnell has said the Senate will discuss the matter this week, but on Tuesday he linked the increased checks to two other demands from Trump: enhanced election security and eliminating liability protections for social media sites.

On Wednesday, senators expect to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense bill which does not include Trump’s call to repeal shields for big tech companies. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey on Tuesday called on the Senate to hold off on the veto override until McConnell allows an up-and-down vote on $2,000 checks.

For more on the $600 stimulus payments and to calculate how much you might receive, read here.

Related Content:

Second stimulus check: Calculate how much money you could get from the $908 billion COVID pandemic relief bill

Republicans block initial push for $2,000 stimulus checks as Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders demand vote; Mitch McConnell hints Senate will consider it this week

Second stimulus check update: ‘No Democrats will object’ to $2,000 COVID checks, but ‘will Senate Republicans?’

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