GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Federal lawmakers have much on their plates as 2020 comes to an end and the coronavirus pandemic continues, and money is at the top of the list.
President Trump wants Congress to increase stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000.
In a statement to Fox 11, Democratic Wisconsin state Sen. Tammy Baldwin says she has long supported an increase in relief, saying,
“I have supported $2,000 stimulus checks since March and Mitch McConnell has rejected them for 9 months. In fact, Senator Johnson blocked a vote on $1,200 checks despite bipartisan support. Trump needs to tell Senate Republicans to allow a vote and support this relief. Let’s do it.”
Senator Johnson has said he blocked the stimulus checks because of concerns about U-S debt — The federal budget deficit totals 3.3 trillion dollars.
Similarly, Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman voted against the first $600 stimulus proposal and he will do the same tonight.
“I am going to vote no on the additional $1,400 dollars that’s going to cost over $300 billion, probably to the next generation.”
Grothman says President Trump is going too far,
“I think he has spent too much money, and a lot of this money is money that he’s asked for. This isn’t the first time we have seen President Trump go overboard and increase our debt,” said Grothman.
The defense spending bill is also bringing the House back to Washington D.C. to vote on overriding the president’s veto on military funding — for this, Grothman supports the President.
“Another concern, a Lot more push for affirmative action sort of thing, when we begin to promote people not based on what’s not necessarily best for the position.”
Looking ahead to 2021, Grothman says he can work with the new democratic majority in the House of Representatives.
“I’d like to think we can find common ground on pushing through for more drugs which can treat the COVID better than we’ve already treated it and I’d like to work with the Democrats on reign in the payday lenders that charge excessively high interest,” said Grothman.
The House just passed the presidents request $2,000 checks. It still has to be taken up by the senate.
Senator Ron Johnson and Representative Mike Gallagher did not have time for comment with Fox 11.
