Almost Half of Voters Think $600 Stimulus Check Is Not Enough: Poll
Almost half of American voters believe the $600 stimulus checks offered in the latest coronavirus relief bill won't be enough to boost the economy as it scrambles to recover in the wake of the crash earlier this year.
The latest poll from Morning Consult found that 49 percent of voters believed the $600 checks did not provide enough support for the U.S. economy and American households, while 31 percent felt the package included the right amount of support.
A small minority of voters (5 percent) said too much support was on offer in the relief bill, while 10 percent said they were unsure or had no opinion on whether the $600 sum was enough.
When the results were broken down along partisan lines, Morning Consult found most Democrats (54 percent) felt the $600 checks were not ample to support economic recovery. Thirty percent felt the sum was enough to do the job.
A plurality of Republicans also felt the checks were inadequate. Forty-three percent said the $600 on offer wouldn't be enough, while 35 percent said the figure was the right amount.
Morning Consult surveyed 1,995 registered voters between December 18 and December 20 for its latest poll. The survey's margin of error stands at 2 percentage points.
The pollster released its latest survey results as President Donald Trump demanded that $2,000 stimulus checks be included in the $900 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress on Monday night under threat of veto.
"A few months ago, Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently-needed help to the American people. It's taken forever," Trump said in a video statement. "However, the bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated. It really is a disgrace."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he was ready to work with Democratic leadership to override the president's veto if necessary. Appearing on the Senate floor, he said: "In the event that the president has vetoed the bill, and the House has voted to override the veto, the Senate would have the opportunity to process the veto override at that time."
President Trump is not the only politician on Capitol Hill to raise a complaint about the size of the stimulus checks on offer.
The Squad members Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) have both called the proposal "inadequate" and an "insult" to the American people after months of delay since the CARES Act passed in March.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also called for the COVID-19 relief bill to be twice the size as he worked with Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to push for the inclusion of $1,200 stimulus checks equal to those offered in the spring.
President-elect Joe Biden also hinted that another round of checks would be needed after his inauguration on January 20. He said the relief bill was "far from perfect" and only a "down payment" on future federal aid.
