Bernie Sanders reminds Americans “not a single Republican voted” for $ 1,400 stimulus checks

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders reminded Americans on Sunday that “not a single Republican voted” for President Joe Biden’s US bailout, which included stimulus checks of $ 1,400.
In March, the Democratic-controlled House passed the $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in a vote of 220-211, with all Republicans and one Democrat opposed. The final House vote on the amended legislation came after Senate Democrats used a budget process called reconciliation to pass legislation in the upper house without the support of Republicans.
âHere’s a radical idea: majority rule. Not a single Republican has voted to provide a direct payment of $ 1,400 to the working class or a child tax credit of $ 3,000. The Senate passed. this important law with 51 votes. We have to do the same with the American Jobs and the family plans, âtweeted Sanders, an independent.
Here’s a radical idea: majority rule. Not a single Republican voted to provide a direct payment of $ 1,400 to the working class or a child tax credit of $ 3,000. The Senate passed this important law with 51 votes. We must do the same with the US Jobs and Family plans.
– Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 6, 2021
In addition to direct payments, the historic stimulus also included $ 350 billion in aid to state and local governments, an extension of federal unemployment benefits, $ 130 billion to help reopen schools and $ 160 billion. for the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines.
Democrats decided to resort to reconciliation after weeks of negotiations with moderates and Republicans. At the time, progressives condemned concessions made to appease moderate Democrats, including lowering federal unemployment benefit from $ 400 to $ 300 and applying stricter income thresholds to checks.
The federal minimum wage measure of $ 15 was also removed after Senatorial MP Elizabeth MacDonough determined she was breaking chamber rules.
Sanders has previously called on Democrats to adopt Biden’s $ 2.3 trillion U.S. jobs plan, which would boost infrastructure, create well-paying jobs to facilitate innovation and bolster manufacturing, and the U.S. plan to $ 1.8 trillion families, which would allocate funds to education and tax cuts. for families, without Republican support.
In an interview with Axios last month, the progressive senator said he did not “agree” with Biden’s efforts to cross the aisle to strike a deal. âAt the end of the day, the American people want results,â he said. âFrankly, when people got a check, you know, for $ 1,400 or $ 5,600 for their family, they wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, I can’t cash that check because it was written without any money. Republican vote. ‘”
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told CNN on Saturday that Democrats would begin preparing the infrastructure bill for a House vote on Wednesday, after Biden rejected the latest offer put forward by Republicans .
“The president still has hope, Joe Manchin still has hope,” she added.
News week has contacted the White House for comment. This story will be updated with any response.
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