KEY POINTS

  • Sen. Josh Hawley says he'll try to force a Senate vote on $1,200 checks on Friday
  • The vote could be blocked by any other Senator, but Hawley says refusing to hold a vote could prompt him to entangle the budget needed to avert a federal shutdown
  • Hawley has support from both populists and progressives unsatisfied with the smaller checks in the budget

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Thursday said he would force a Senate vote on a stimulus proposal to send Americans $1,200 COVID-19 relief checks, with $2,400 for couples and an extra $500 per child.

The checks have been a focus of both Hawley and a subset of progressive Democrats and populist Republicans. Hawley teamed up last week with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to put the squeeze on caucus leaders for further relief for Americans.

Pressure from those legislators resulted in smaller checks being added to the congressional budget that has to pass this week, but $600 per person will draw objections from both Hawley and Sanders.

Democrats have pushed for state and local funding aid, while Republicans want lawsuit immunity for businesses.

Josh Hawley
Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, is pictured. GETTY IMAGES / POOL

While any senator can request a vote, any other can block the measure. Hawley said in a statement to reporters that if his vote request is blocked he might consider delaying Friday’s budget vote, which requires unanimous cooperation to meet the tight timetable needed to avert a shutdown.

“I might,” Hawley said. “I’ve said all along I want to have a vote.”

Other prominent advocates include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who characterized the checks as “survival payments.”

The direct payment of $1,200 would likely have the same criteria as the CARES Act in March, which provided relief for households with an income less than $99,000, or $198,000 for joint filers, and $500 per child.

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