Mitch McConnell Praises Trump for Signing $2.3 Trillion Bill, No Mention of Increasing Stimulus Checks

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) lauded President Donald Trump for moving to sign the $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government spending bill, but made no mention of the president’s demands, such as raising direct payments to $2,000.

“I applaud President Trump’s decision to get hundreds of billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus] relief out the door and into the hands of American families as quickly as possible,” McConnell said in a statement:

I applaud the President’s decision to get billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door and into the hands of American families. I am glad the American people will receive this much-needed assistance as our nation continues battling this pandemic. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/YSPYsPu2ct

— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) December 28, 2020

While he admitted that the “compromise bill is not perfect,” the majority leader said it will “extend another major lifeline to workers at struggling small businesses, renew major relief for laid-off Americans, invest billions more in vaccine distribution, send cash directly to households, and more” following the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed earlier this year.

“I thank the President for signing this relief into law, along with full-year government funding legislation that will continue the rebuilding and modernization of our Armed Forces that his Administration has championed,” McConnell continued, crediting the president for preventing a government shutdown.

“I am glad the American people will receive this much-needed assistance as our nation continues battling this pandemic,” he added.

However, absent from the Kentucky Republican’s statement were any mentions of Trump’s calls to increase payments to $2,000, remove “wasteful items” from the bill, and focus on “strongly on the very substantial voter fraud which took place in the November 3 Presidential election.”

Trump said in part:

I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed. I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill. I am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more. On Monday the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000. Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200. Additionally, Congress has promised that Section 230, which so unfairly benefits Big Tech at the expense of the American people, will be reviewed and either be terminated or substantially reformed. Likewise, the House and Senate have agreed to focus strongly on the very substantial voter fraud which took place in the November 3 Presidential election. The Senate will start the process for a vote that increases checks to $2,000, repeals Section 230, and starts an investigation into voter fraud. Big Tech must not get protections of Section 230! Voter Fraud must be fixed! Much more money is coming. I will never give up my fight for the American people!

The House is expected to convene Monday to debate and vote on increasing the $600 direct payments to $2,000. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also asserted no Democrats in the Senate will object to the measure.