During an interview with ABC affiliate KMID on Wednesday, President Donald Trump hinted the next coronavirus stimulus check may be worth more than $1,200.
When asked if $1,200 was enough for Americans amid the economic fallout brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Trump said the checks "may go higher than that actually."
"I’d like to see it be very high because I love the people. I want the people to get it, you know," said Trump. "The economy is going to come back. We just had tremendous job numbers as you know it was just announced. We had great retail sales numbers, so this is all coming back. We had the greatest economy we’ve ever had and we had to close it up because you know we had to do it. We saved millions of lives by doing that, but now we’re bringing it back and now it’s going to come back. We gotta take care of the people in the meantime."
On Monday, Republicans rolled out their stimulus relief plan that included another $1,200 check per person for Americans making up to $75,000, however, Trump did not indicate how much more, if any, he wanted to see sent to Americans.
In May, Democrats in the House passed their version of a coronavirus relief bill, the HEROES act, that among other items, included a second $1,200 payment, using a similar payment structure to what was used in March. Americans making up to $75,000 would receive $1,200
Trump also stated that his main priority for the next coronavirus relief bill is an extension of the eviction moratorium and the direct payments to Americans.
However, according to multiple reports, negotiations between the House and Senate have not gone well so far this week. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), but didn't sound hopeful.
"We don't have an agreement on anything," said Mnuchin.
Pelosi derided the bill put forward by Republicans on Wednesday, calling it a "skinny bill" that "does nothing" to address the actual reality of the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats in the House have also been pushing for an extension of the $600 federal bonus for unemployment benefits, which are set to expire by the end of the week. Republicans dislike the bonus, with many calling it a disincentive to work and have countered with a $200 week proposal that would allow states to transition to a new system that would provide 70 percent of a person's salary in October.
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