President Trump said yesterday that he supports larger direct payments to Americans in the next stimulus bill.
“I support actually larger numbers than the Democrats, but it’s got to be done properly,” the President told Blake Burman of Fox Business.
“I want the money getting to people to be larger so they can spend it. I want the money to get there quickly and in a non-complicated fashion,” he would say of Americans affected by the Covid19 pandemic.
The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act in May. That proposal included a direct payment of $1,200 per U.S. adult with $1,200 per qualifying dependent for up to three dependents per family. Each American family would see a maximum benefit of $6,000.
The HEROES Act is unlikely to pass the Senate as is, however.
The President didn’t specify how large he would like to see the payments in the next round of stimulus be.
Republican Senators were originally opposed to the idea of a second direct stimulus payment, but have since warmed to the idea, likely at President Trump’s direction.
The U.S. Senate has adjourned until July 20. It will have a couple of weeks to hash out an agreement before the August recess which begins on August 10. Sen. Mitch McConnell has indicated that any stimulus bill is likely to be finalized during that time.