Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Democrats to set up a stand-alone vote on increasing the amount of recently passed stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000.
McConnell signaled separately that he could package the increase in direct stimulus checks, with a repeal of a tech shield that has emerged as a top target for Trump and election-related investigations. Trump, in his statement on signing the $2.3 trillion package, said the Senate would “start the process for a vote” that tackles the three issues.
McConnell did not provide additional details about how he might bring the measures up. But tying the stimulus checks push to Section 230, a legal shield for tech companies, or to Trump’s unproven claims that widespread election fraud cost him his reelection would almost certainly undermine Democratic support for such legislation.