House Democrats vowed yesterday to renew efforts on economic assistance — including state and local aid and potentially $2,000 checks to individuals — in the 117th Congress that is now getting underway, the Washington Post reported. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said that the $2,000 checks amount to “unfinished business that should be continued as part of our effort to provide additional relief to the American people.” The House last week passed legislation providing for $2,000 relief checks, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rejected the measure even though President Trump was demanding it. Congress earlier approved a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill that included $600 checks, legislation that Trump ultimately signed even while criticizing the size of the checks as “measly." Democrats anticipate writing a new relief bill once President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in Jan. 20. Its contours are uncertain, however, and the path forward will depend on the outcome of two Senate runoffs in Georgia on Tuesday that will determine which party controls the Senate.
