McClintock Explains Opposition To Increasing Direct Payments
Sonora, CA — Mother Lode Congressman Tom McClintock voted against increasing direct payments to $2,000 as part of the Congressional COVID-19 relief package.
The measure passed in the House yesterday, 275-134.
Speaking on the House Floor, McClintock stated, “This money is wholly inadequate for those who have been harmed by the lockdowns and wholly unnecessary for those who have not. And this free money doesn’t come from heaven — it comes from the future earnings of those who will be struggling to get back on their feet – making the post-lockdown recovery more difficult and prolonged.
McClintock was one of 44 Republicans in opposition. He added, “Let’s get this straight: the small shopkeeper who’s just lost their entire savings because of the lockdowns will get the same $2,000 grant as the government bureaucrat who’s been enjoying a steady paycheck at home for the past ten months.”
The proposal to increase the payment from $600 to $2,000 now moves to the Senate, where its fate is unclear. The increased direct payment would cost the federal government an additional $464-billion. It has the support of leading Democratic lawmakers and Republican President Donald Trump as a way to give Americans additional financial assistance and security during the pandemic.
