Ocasio-Cortez Slams GOP and Democratic Lawmakers Who Opposed Raising Stimulus Checks To $2,000

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is blasting her colleagues who opposed a measure to increase the latest round of stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000.

In a series of tweets on Monday night, Ocasio-Cortez blasted lawmakers who did not support the increase, writing, “Notice how Republican Congressmen who like to claim they are the party of ‘personal responsibility’ refuse to take any responsibility themselves for blocking retroactive unemployment benefits, voting against $2k survival checks, stoking doubt about the pandemic to begin with, etc.”

She re-tweeted a reporter who noted Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said he opposed the increase because recipients would use the funds for payments on credit card debt or “new purchases online at Wal-Mart, Best Buy or Amazon.”

“‘I don’t support $2k survival checks because it might help people get out of debt that our gov’t inaction helped put or keep them in in the first place.’ – GOP Congressman,” she wrote.

She did not only target Republican lawmakers. The New York Congresswoman also re-tweeted a separate reporter who quoted Rep. Kurt Shrader (D-Ore.) saying he opposed the bill because, “People who are making six figure incomes and who have not been by Covid-19 do not need checks.”

“Is this really a good reason to block aid for millions,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote, adding, “If you’re going to err, err on the side of helping people.”

The House passed the bill on Monday in a 275-134 vote, with 44 Republicans supporting and two Democrats voting against it.

The bill would still have to pass the Senate, however, it was unclear on Monday when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would hold a vote on it.

In a bid to force the chamber to vote on the bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he would filibuster the override vote of President Donald Trump’s veto of the annual defense policy bill unless the chamber votes on increasing the stimulus checks.

In an interview on Monday, Sanders said, “McConnell and the Senate want to expedite the override vote and I understand that. But I’m not going to allow that to happen unless there is a vote, no matter how long that takes, on the $2,000 direct payment.”

The filibuster is a procedural hurdle used to delay votes in the Senate.

The fate of the bill to increase the stimulus checks in the Senate is uncertain as many Republican senators, who control the chamber, oppose the measure.