Most Republicans Back $2,000 Stimulus Checks Despite GOP Bid to Shrink Payments

While GOP Senators have pitched lower stimulus checks with tighter eligibility criteria as part of their bipartisan relief proposal to President Joe Biden, polling shows most Republicans back stimulus checks of $2,000.

Biden has proposed another round of $1,400 checks, which added to the $600 signed off previously would add up to $2,000 in support.

However, Republicans have opposed the amount of spending in his pitch and a group of 10 lawmakers from the upper chamber met with the president on Monday to discuss a scaled down framework. This would include reducing the top-line amount and reducing the number of people eligible to receive it.

Despite the Republican opposition to checks at a higher rate, polling has indicated support for $2,000 payments from adults across the political spectrum.

For a Yahoo News!/YouGov survey, 1,516 U.S. adults were presented with a range of policies and asked if they favored or opposed them.

The prospect of $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks for Americans was put to respondents, between January 20 and 21, and overall 74 percent said they favored them.

By party affiliation, more than half of all the Republicans asked, 57 percent, also said they favored $2,000 checks.

The GOP pitch is worth around $618 billion overall, compared to Biden's $1.9 trillion proposal. It suggests maximum $1,000 checks and limiting eligibility to those earning $50,000 or less. The last round of checks have granted the full amounts to individuals earning $75,000 or less.

Previous polling has also shown people would favor the stimulus check criteria remaining the same over a bipartisan deal being secured.

Following the meeting on Monday, both sides said the talks had been "productive."

A statement from the senators, released through Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), said: "It was an excellent meeting, and we are very appreciative that in his first official meeting in the Oval Office, President Biden chose to spend so much time with us discussing the response to the COVID crisis.

"We presented our proposal to the President, and we had a very productive exchange of views. On five previous occasions, Congress has demonstrated that we can come together to deliver Covid-19 relief for the American people."

A statement from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden still holds that "Congress must respond boldly and urgently" to the current state of the crisis.

"He reiterated that while he is hopeful that the Rescue Plan can pass with bipartisan support, a reconciliation package is a path to achieve that end," she said. "The President also made clear that the American Rescue Plan was carefully designed to meet the stakes of this moment, and any changes in it cannot leave the nation short of its pressing needs."

Democrats have moved forward with the option of reconciliation to push through Biden's package. This would allow it to progress without Republican support, a prospect which has sparked a backlash from GOP lawmakers.

Newsweek has contacted Collins' office and the White House for comment.