Mitch McConnell blocks initial attempt to consider $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked an initial consideration of a House bill that would deliver $2,000 stimulus payments supported by President Trump to most Americans. 

Senate Democrats, and a meaningful number of their Republican colleagues are expected to advocate for a straight up-or-down vote on the legislation later this week. Recent vocal supporters of the bill include GOP incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, both of whom are currently battling to keep their seats (and with them Republican control of the Senate) in tight runoff elections in Georgia.

McConnell's action, however, does not mean he is altogether shutting down the $2,000 payments. Instead, he is looking at a way to bundle the checks with two other legislative priorities of president Trump, namely: repealing section 230, and opening an investigation into the November election.

"Those are the three important subjects the President has linked together," said McConnell. "This week the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus."