- Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida urged President-elect Joe Biden to put $2,000 stimulus payments at the top of his agenda.
- Rubio supported the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help Act that passed in the House on Dec. 28 and requests that Biden work past partisan motives to get $2,000 payments to Americans.
- Biden previously expressed support for $2,000 stimulus checks, and they are expected to be included in his economic relief package releasing on Thursday.
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Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday requesting that Biden support an increase in stimulus payments to $2,000 promptly after being inaugurated.
Following the passage of the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help Act in the House on Dec. 28, which called for $2,000 stimulus checks, Rubio urged Biden to make this increase a priority and help working-class families in need of additional relief.
“It would send a powerful message to the American people if, on the first day of your presidency, you called on the House and Senate to send you legislation to increase the direct economic impact payments to Americans struggling due to the pandemic from $600 to $2,000,” Rubio said in the letter.
Rubio supported the CASH Act, but with the bill never reaching the Senate, he said in the letter that he hopes Biden will “not allow direct payments to the American people to get caught up in the normal political games ” and refrain from getting tied up with unrelated legislation.
Biden has previously expressed support for $2,000 direct payments, and the payments are expected to be included in his economic relief plan releasing on Thursday.
While the increase in stimulus payments is largely supported by Democratic lawmakers, Rubio's viewpoint diverges from many Republicans who do not support the increase and say it will be too costly.
"You have the ability to help break the paralysis in Washington by delivering desperately needed relief," Rubio said in the letter to Biden. "I implore you to rise above the rhetoric and deliver an increase in assistance for American families."
