Both President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom say they believe COVID-19 relief checks should be increased from $600 to $2,000.
The Democratic governor made the statement during a press conference earlier today (Wednesday). This came a day after Trump said Congress should amend the COVID-19 relief bill to reflect larger checks for Americans.
Congress has sent Trump a stimulus relief bill that would give most Americans a $600 check, but the president said Tuesday he’s unhappy with the amount.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California responded that congressional Democrats would be happy to reconvene to raise the number, a move aimed at pressuring Republicans, who had pushed for a smaller stimulus package, to raise the amount.
Newsom said a change in the size of the payments would make a big difference in California – putting “upwards of $60 billion” into the state’s economy instead of $18 billion.
Trump has yet to say whether he will veto the measure that includes the $600 stimulus, which also would extend federal unemployment benefits that are set to expire next week.
An estimated 1 million Californians are likely to lose their unemployment benefits next week, as federal unemployment programs created in March to help people affected by the COVID crisis expire.
