With the Democrats’ Senate runoff victory tipping the balance of power in Washington, Joe Biden’s legislative agenda suddenly has new life. So what about those $2,000 COVID-relief checks—can we realistically expect to receive additional stimulus money soon?
Encouraging signs
Last December, the House easily passed the CASH Act, a bill that would have raised the stimulus checks in December’s COVID relief bill from $600 to $2,000, but it languished in the Republican-controlled Senate after Mitch McConnell refused to put it to a vote. Now, with the House and Senate in Democratic hands, the usual obstacles have been removed (although, to be fair, President Trump also pushed for $2,000 checks).
Earlier this week in Georgia, President-elect Biden made it very clear that relief checks will be a priority, stating:
If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door. And if you send Sens. Perdue and [Kelly] Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It’s just that simple. The power is literally in your hands.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also confirmed on Wednesday that relief checks will be at the top of the legislative agenda:
One of the first things that I want to do when our new senators are seated is deliver the $2,000 checks to the American families.”
The bill still has its critics, though—including moderate Democrats. Some argue that the bill is a blunt instrument that poorly targets those that need it most, as checks will be sent to people who haven’t lost their jobs or income during the pandemic, adding billions to the federal deficit.
So will relief checks legislation pass?
It looks promising, but there’s a few things to consider. The House already passed the CASH Act with a two-thirds majority, so we know that passing a new relief bill shouldn’t be a problem (it will have to be a new bill, though—without a vote in the Senate, the CASH Act expired).
Getting a bill passed by the Senate is less certain, however, as it’s now split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivering the tie-breaking vote, should one be needed. With such a slim margin, there is no guarantee that the measure will pass, especially since 60 votes are required to thwart a filibuster. Already, the slim Democratic margin has been compromised, as Senate Democrat Joe Manchin has come out against $2,000 checks. However, the new bill could win Republican support, too. According to American Prospect:
At least
one Republican
(Missouri’s Josh Hawley) and
several
Democrats
have stated that 60 votes were available for the measure last week. If the Senate chooses a majority leader who is willing to put checks on the floor, there’s a strong likelihood it would pass.
A standalone relief bill likely has the best chance of passing, but it remains to be seen what form one will take, or even if it will actually be for $2,000 (there’s been talk of $1,400 checks, which, alongside the $600 sent out this month, would total $2,000 between the two bills).
Congressional aides have told the Washington Post that a relief package is in the “early stages,” so we don’t know if a relief check bill would also include funding to support cash-strapped states or an extension of unemployment benefits. So far, Senator Schumer has declined to say what route Democrats will take.
How soon could we expect the checks?
As the Washington Post points out, it’s not clear how quickly Congress can vote on the checks. Obviously the vote will have to wait until after inauguration day on Jan. 20, but the certifications of the Georgia Senate elections is also still up in the air—it’s not clear so far whether that process will be delayed by GOP challenges. There is also the potential for additional delays if the checks are rolled into a larger relief package that includes more contentious items.
Suffice it to say, when to expect these checks might actually be approved is a guessing game, but early-to-mid February would be a reasonable bet.