Senate GOP faces stimulus dilemma as Democrats side with Trump
Many Republicans oppose stimulus payments above the US$600 in the existing law, partly over price tag concerns
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Washington
REPUBLICANS will likely block Democrats' attempts to have the Senate follow the House in boosting stimulus payments for most Americans to US$2,000, even though President Donald Trump backs the bigger cheques.
Forty-four House Republicans joined 231 Democrats on Monday to pass a bill increasing the payments from the US$600 in the pandemic relief legislation that Mr Trump signed on Sunday. His surprise demand last week for bigger payments put Republicans in a bind after they resisted anything higher than US$600 during the drawn out negotiations on the original bill. Democrats were quick to use that as a pressure point.
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