Shutdown Looms as Republicans Block $2,000 Checks Demanded by Trump

House Democrats on Thursday failed to replace the $600 direct checks in the latest pandemic relief bill with $2,000 payments demanded by President Trump this week – which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) sought to pass by unanimous consent, only to be blocked by House Republicans.

House Democrats will try again on Monday, with a new stand-alone bill for the $2,000 checks, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). The House will also attempt to override Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act as government funding is set to lapse.

To avoid a shutdown, the House could also pass another stopgap measure – however several pandemic relief measures will also run out between Saturday and Dec. 31, including $300 per week in bonus unemployment insurance and a moratorium on rent-related evictions.

Politico’s Jake Sherman opines on the next steps after Trump tossed lighter fluid and a match on GOP leaders, who largely failed to support his challenge to the November election:

IN HIS FINAL INTVW IN 1973, LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON told WALTER CRONKITE that antagonizing Congress is never a good idea because it’s like a pilot having a co-pilot flying in different directions.

TRUMP HAS taken it a step further. He has pressed the ejection seat on his allies

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 24, 2020

If worse comes to worst, he’ll have a better hand in a few weeks with JOE BIDEN in the White House. BIDEN’S a Democrat, but at least you know his administration’s word is likely to be good.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 24, 2020

Trump's remaining Hill allies — all in the House — are convincing TRUMP that he has a chance of overturning electoral results Jan. 6, and that he should veto this bill — both deep rabbit holes without exit paths.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 24, 2020

RIGHT NOW, Republicans tell us they have one goal: keep TRUMP calm and hope he changes his mind and signs the bill.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 24, 2020

Republicans are going to offer to strip all the foreign money out of the bill they just passed, and replace it with a stopgap measure. Democrats will block that. We’ll then be back at square one.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 24, 2020

Hoyer says he is going to talk to pelosi and to Dems about how to avoid a shutdown Monday.

He says pelosi is talking to mnuchin — but to what end? Mnuchin doesn’t have trumps proxy. No one has a clue what trump is up to.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 24, 2020

Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission