Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the ‘Squad’ Introduce $2,000 Stimulus Checks Bill

Members of the "Squad" in the House introduced their bill to send $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans on Thursday.

Squad members spearheaded the legislation

This week, President Donald Trump urged the $600 stimulus checks included in congress' deal to raise to up to $2,000 per eligible American. According to Fox News, the legislation was spearheaded by representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Pramila Jayapal D-Wash.

After the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would meet Monday to vote on stand-alone legislation for $2,000 stimulus checks, the bill was introduced.

The bill is different from the separate bill introduced by Representative Richard Neal, D-Mass., that aims to do the same thing. But Neal's bill changes the numbers on the COVID-19 stimulus bill to $2,000 instead of $600. It would also be effective if the stimulus and the government funding package is signed into law.

However, the "Squad" bill is independent of the rest of the stimulus. It directly amends the Internal Revenue code's wording because it currently stands after Congress's relief bill passed earlier this year. Therefore, the "Squad" bill could be enacted on its own.

Read also: Did Stimulus Package Drops Student Loan? What to Do Before Forbearance Ends

Stimulus checks legislation faces a tough road

Republicans in the upper chamber were on a different page than the president throughout the COVID-19 relief efforts and had opposed the $2,000 checks. Senator Roy Blunt R-Mo said that he would be surprised if lawmakers end with a deal with a Democrat to push for $2,000 stimulus checks.

On Monday, Democrats will vote on a bigger stimulus check and vote to override Trump'sNational Defense Authorization Act veto. Meanwhile, the House Republicans blocked a Democratic effort in providing the $2,000 checks on the floor.

A GOP to address the other part of Trump's twofold objections to the government spending package - foreign aid was also blocked by the Democrats. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., House Minority Leader, accused Democrats of having a "selective hearing" to address the checks and not the foreign aid.

The government became at risk of shutting down after Trump decided not to sign the massive COVID-19 stimulus and government spending package that lawmakers sent to him.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the limited time to review the stimulus bill

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other lawmakers criticized the limited time to review the bill, as per The Hill via MSN. Ocasio-Cortez took to her Twitter and said the limited time lawmakers had read the stimulus bill prior to the expected vote on Monday.

"Congress is expected to vote on the second largest bill in US history *today* - $2.5 trillion - and as of about 1pm, members don't even have the legislative text of it yet," she said tweeted.

Democrats are wary of the stimulus package

The Sun reported that the progressive Democrats representatives proposed their own bill on Christmas Eve as they are wary that the stimulus package's language will not amend to give Americans $2,000 stimulus checks over the previously approved $600 stimulus payment.

President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office on January 20. As Trump demanded an immense amount of stimulus checks, Biden indicated that he would support a third round of stimulus checks for Americans once he is in office.

Read also: Second Stimulus Checks: These People Might Get More Money Than You!