Schumer’s effort, which he announced on Monday night, comes after the House passed the legislation in a bipartisan 275-134 vote, kicking the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate.
“Tomorrow I will move to pass the legislation in the Senate to quickly deliver Americans with $2,000 emergency checks. Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief, which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it – there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way,” Schumer said in a statement.
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“There’s strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country Leader McConnell ought to make sure Senate Republicans do not stand in the way of helping to meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help,” he added.
The House is returning to Washington on Monday, while the Senate will get back in town on Tuesday for a rare year-end, post-Christmas session, capping off the final few days of a chaotic and historic election year.
Congress is poised for its ninth veto override attempt during the Trump administration and will take up at least one of the president’s priorities, back-to-back scenarios that could put a squeeze on GOP lawmakers.
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Trump took a shutdown off the table over the weekend when he announced on Sunday night that he was signing a $2.3 trillion package, which includes $1.4 trillion to fund the government and $900 billion for coronavirus relief, after days of railing against the agreement and sparking fears of a year-end funding lapse in the middle of a pandemic.
Trump’s surprise opposition to a COVID-19 relief and omnibus spending package means the government could shut down on Tuesday, days before runoff elections in Georgia that will determine the Senate majority.
Trump’s flurry of moves have divided the Republican Party, as has his series of controversial pardons that Democrats are criticizing as a gross misuse of authority.
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It is in that environment that lawmakers will seek a way forward next week unless Trump pulls a new surprise and either signs or vetoes the massive $2.3 trillion spending package in the coming days. The president is spending the holidays at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He spent Thursday at his golf course.