Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:59 PM PT – Friday, January 1, 2021
More GOP senators have blocked the vote for $2,000 stimulus checks. Friday, Republican lawmakers John Cornyn (R-Texas) and John Thune (R-S.D.) both objected to the proposal.
Cornyn said he blocked the vote on behalf of Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) who was absent from the Senate floor.
Congress should continue helping workers who’ve lost their jobs. But blindly borrowing more than $600 billion so we can send $2,000 checks to millions of people who haven’t lost any income is terrible policy. I won’t consent to a vote on that. https://t.co/hCOlgcFPnq
— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) December 29, 2020
Thune rejected the motion, saying that it was not targeted specifically for those in need. He added that some Americans who are financially secure would receive stimulus checks as well.
“If you really want to help people who need this the most in a time where we are running this trillion dollar debt, borrowing every penny that we are making available to do this, we ought to sit down and figure out how to do it the most efficient, effective, and targeted way possible,” Thune stated. “This absolutely does not do that.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reiterated his opposition toward the bill, saying it was not the right approach.
Lawmakers have until the legislation expires to vote on the issue as Congress will have to start from scratch once the new Congress is sworn in on Sunday.
