Daily Beast reporter Hanna Trudo told Hill.TV that despite Democrats soon regaining the majority in the Senate, quick approval of $2,000 stimulus checks for COVID-19 relief is far from certain.
A somewhat unexpected roadblock emerged last week when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he would “absolutely not” support $2,000 checks following Democratic victories in the Georgia runoffs that will give the party control of the chamber starting Jan. 20. Manchin later said that if a new round of checks go out, they should be targeted to ensure they go to those in need.
“That was kind of shocking, I think, to many people who are on, not just the progressive wing of the party, but centrist establishment Democrats really embraced during the later half of the Senate election this idea that $2,000 is sort of reasonable and doable now that the Democrats have control of the Senate,” Trudo said.
She added that there could be some “inherent tension” between the Biden administration, the moderate wing of the party and the more liberal wing.
“I think we’re beginning to see progressive policy infiltrate at least some of the public statements that Biden’s making,” Trudo said. “Now, obviously, that’s just rhetoric so far.”
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