‘No Realistic Path’ for Quick Vote on $2,000 Stimulus Checks, McConnell Says

Senator Mitch McConnell effectively killed off any chance that Congress would increase stimulus checks to $2,000 before President Trump leaves office, saying there was “no realistic path” for the Senate to pass a stand-alone bill.

Mr. McConnell, the majority leader, insisted on Wednesday that lawmakers would only consider an omnibus bill that included the $2,000 checks and two other issues that Mr. Trump has demanded Congress address: investigating the integrity of the 2020 election and revoking legal protections for social media platforms. Democrats will not take up either matter, dooming any chance that such a bill could pass.

Speaking from the Senate floor, Mr. McConnell defiantly accused Democrats of overstepping. “The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats’ rich friends who don’t need the help,” he said.