A congressional effort to pass a second bill to provide $1,200 stimulus checks for individuals who make up to $75,000 was blocked by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, arguing that the new round of coronavirus relief would increase the country’s debt.
“I completely support some kind of program targeted for small businesses. … So what I fear we’re going to do with this bipartisan package and what the senator from Missouri is talking about is the same thing, is a shotgun approach,” Johnson said.
“We will not have learned the lessons from our very hurried, very rushed earlier relief packages,” Johnson added.
Under the Senate’s rules any one senator can request to pass a bill but any other senator can object and block it. And Johson did just that.
Later on Friday, the House passed a two-day, stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown and provide negotiators additional time to iron out details on a larger funding and COVID-19 relief package.
