Trump and Republican clash over new round of checks

Senate Republicans and President TrumpDonald John Trump South Korea criticizes Bolton’s book as ‘distorting reality’ of nuclear talks Democrats face tough questions with Bolton protesters trying to tear down Andrew Jackson statue near White House MORE they face a new round of COVID-19 stimulus controls, with Republican senators warning the Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinDemocrats Steven Terner MnuchinTop: Trump administration plan for ‘inadequate’ PPP disclosure Pompeo beats Bolton in Treasury Department tweet to reveal details on recipients of small business loans MORE Tuesday to think about the growing federal deficit.

Trump considers the $ 1,200 “economic impact payment” checks that highlighted his name as a political and economic winner. Many Republican senators, on the other hand, think that a runoff would be a great waste of money.

Senator Pat toomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Republican Senators Push for Quick and Partial Reopening of the Economy The NSA incorrectly collected US phone records. USA In October, new documents show Overnight Defense: South Korean envoy’s election splits with Trump over nuclear threat | McCain Launches Explosions to Suspend Korean Military Exercises | The White House defends Trump’s greeting to the North Korean general MORE (Pa.) He was one of several Republican senators who warned Mnuchin about the increase in red ink at a lunch on Tuesday. The deficit is projected to reach $ 3.7 trillion in 2020, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

“I expressed a lot of skepticism about the wisdom of making another big spending bill,” Toomey, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said after the meeting.

He said another round of $ 1,200 checks is pointless as the economy begins to reopen after the blockades in March and April.

“I am skeptical about the idea of ​​doing that. That was an emergency measure taken when we were in a total crisis and, frankly, I knew it was tremendously inefficient because all kinds of people received checks whose work was not in jeopardy, ”he said.

Toomey said many of the recipients of the checks “had no lost income” or were government employees or retirees.

Senator Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioTrump seeks to join base with immigration press across court New head of Trump’s media agency under fire from both sides Republicans brush Bolton’s bombs MORE (R-Fla.) He said several of his colleagues spoke at the meeting and “asked for caution to move on.”

“We want to make sure that the next round of assistance is targeted to those who need it most,” he said.

Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee Mike EnziMichael (Mike) Bradley EnziDemocrats Details His Green Infrastructure Plan .5T Trump’s Momentum Over Major Infrastructure Bill Faces Republican Opposition Republicans Begin Preparing For Closing Fight In Pre-Election Period MORE (R-Wyo.) He said the Republican Senate Party’s concerns about the growing deficit were “well covered” at the meeting.

Senator John CornynJohn CornynGOP gathers around Trump after firing Manhattan prosecutor, The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – After a difficult week, can Trump bounce back? Trump and GOP make a big bet on the economy by 2020 MORE (R-Texas), another member of the Finance panel, said the $ 1,200 round of checks “was necessary at the beginning” of the crisis when people may have had to wait for state and federal unemployment benefits to catch up. with the massive increase in layoffs and licenses in March and April.

“I don’t see the dire need” for another round now, he said.

Instead, Cornyn is pushing for legislation to provide tax relief to the oil and gas industries, which were hit hard by this year’s economic slowdown.

Trump told Scripps local television news on Monday that he plans to send another round of checks.

“Yes, we are. We are,” he said. “We will make another stimulus package. It will be very good. It will be very generous.

Mnuchin, entering the Republican Senate lunch on Tuesday, confirmed that another round of refund checks is on the table.

“It will be one of the things we are discussing,” he told reporters.

Mnuchin, however, did not make a launch for checks at lunch, according to two Republican senators who attended.

The Treasury secretary told senators that the administration’s goal is to get another coronavirus relief law passed in Congress in late July, according to the senator. Roy BluntRoy Dean Blunt This week: Congress will face police reform legislation The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Trump under fire as SCOTUS, Bolton deal hits Republican rift opens about qualified immunity for police MORE (R-Mo.), Who attended the meeting.

Congress has already allocated nearly $ 3 trillion to respond to the pandemic, a significant portion of which has yet to be spent.

Trump and Mnuchin can sidestep the Republican Party’s opposition to a second round of checks by reaching an agreement with Democratic leaders.

The $ 3 billion coronavirus relief bill that passed the House last month, the HEROES Act, includes a second round of $ 1,200 checks, which the legislation will also extend to unauthorized immigrants who have Identification Numbers. individual taxpayer.

Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerGOP lawmakers express their support for the Israeli plan to annex areas in the West Bank. The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Rep. Mark Takano says Congress should extend worker benefits due July; WHO reports record increase in global cases UPDATE: Trump denies slowing tests for coronavirus MORE (NY) and Minipity Whip Dick durbinRichard (Dick) Joseph Durbin This week: Congress will face police reform legislation Harris’ road to police reform is littered with landmines How June 15 celebrations and marches in the US looked like. USA PLUS (Ill.), The two high-ranking Senate Democrats have expressed their support for another wave of stimulus controls.

“Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi Democrats face tough questions with Bolton California Democrat says it is ‘cruel and inhumane’ not to extend COVID-19 unemployment benefits last July Democrats seek tax credit assistance for renewables on infrastructure bill MOREThe bill extends it to American citizens who have someone undocumented in their home, I think. I think that is the only significant difference. I support that change, ”Durbin said Tuesday.

Mnuchin and Senate Republicans focused on other proposals during their meeting on Tuesday.

“We are talking about a lot of different ideas that we might need to do in another bill and we want to take our time and make sure that we are thoughtful so that whatever we do is much more specific, much more job focused bring back jobs and make sure we take care of our children, “he said.

They discussed another round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a popular small business loan program, as well as a payroll tax exemption for essential workers and federal funds for schools and universities to help students return to classes in the fall.

Republicans are discussing the possibility of establishing a loss of income test for companies that apply for PPP loans, which Rubio, president of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, assured that would guarantee that “we are prioritizing the industries and businesses that were the most affected. ” “

Senator Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstErnst challenges Greenfield to six debates in the Iowa Senate race. Hill coronavirus report: Tulsa County reports the highest number of new cases days before the Trump rally; Botanisol Analytics CEO David Talenfeld says new highly mobile virus testing modules can help protect national security infrastructure Black voters need a new Senate as much as a new president MORE (R-Iowa), who faces a competitive career this fall, raised the idea of ​​a payroll tax exemption for essential workers at the meeting and Mnuchin did not object, according to a lawmaker in the room.

President of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Work and Pensions Lamar AlexanderAndrew (Lamar) Lamar Alexander Republicans clean up Bolton’s bombs Time to make our national parks great again National protests spark renewed local efforts to get rid of Confederate symbols MORE (R-Tenn.) He is pushing for federal funds to help schools and universities restart in the fall.

“The area that I think we should consider is making sure that schools and universities have enough funds so that 75 million students can safely return to school and university and if they don’t, I think we should address that in July , ” he said.

Alexander said after the meeting that he is not willing to support another round of checks.

Senator Rand paulRandal (Rand) Howard Paul White House Supports Republican Police Reform Bill Representative Andy Barr’s wife dies suddenly at age 39 Senate Reveals Police Reform Proposal MORE (R-Ky.) He called another round of checks “a terrible idea.”

“We are already setting records with how much money we have spent,” he said. “We have added about $ 4 trillion in debt in one year just from what they have done so far.”

Senator Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold Johnson: The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Republican Party, Democrats vying for a job in police reform Sunday program breakthrough: Congress debates police reform legislation after George Floyd murdering the Democratic Senate Introduces Legislation to Protect the United States Against the Paralyzing Cyber ​​Attack MORE (R-Wis.) He said that “whatever we do in the future has to be better directed.”

He said Congress should look closely at the money that was allocated in March and that remains unspent.

“Possibly, if the economy comes back fast enough, we may repeal some of that spending,” he said. “I certainly don’t think we are in a position to authorize one more dollar.”