PHOTO | GETTY IMAGES

U.S. Rep Alma Adams (D-N.C.), center, voted for the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Act of 2020, which would pay Americans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic $2,000. The bill, which has the support of President Donald Trump, passed the House of Representatives but faces an uncertain fate in the Republican-controlled Senate.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams wants the federal government wants a larger stimulus for Americans coping with an economy weakened by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Charlotte Democrat voted Monday for the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help Act of 2020 to increase the amount of money struggling Americans receive in a second round of direct payments to $2,000. President Donald Trump on Sunday signed a bill that keeps the federal government open and pays $600 in stimulus funding despite calling the legislation “a disgrace” for not including larger payments.

Republicans, particularly in the GOP-leaning Senate, opposed the $2,000 checks while a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed it.

“I was proud to vote to authorize a $2,000 Economic Impact Payment, also known as the stimulus check, to help our hardest-hit families during this holiday season,” Adams said in a statement. “House Democrats have been proud to support increased stimulus checks since voting for the HEROES Act in May. American families need this help now.”

Adams has long supported increased direct cash payments through the CARES Act, which included the original Economic Impact Payment, as well as the HEROES Act in May, which would have authorized an additional $1,200.

“There are 10 million fewer jobs than when the pandemic began,” Adams said. “Over 3 million Americans are now facing long-term unemployment. This increased benefit will help keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and the lights on. This check should also create more customers with money in their pockets – the consumers our small businesses need to stay afloat and start hiring again.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s eviction protection provisions, which expired in July, covered more than 12 million occupied federally financed rental units, but they didn’t cover renters in units backed by private sector financing. The latest nationwide eviction ban is set to expire at the end of January.

Adams said more needs to be done to help people stay afloat as the pandemic’s impact on the economy deepens. Employment is expected to take a hit until the supply of COVID-19 vaccine becomes more available.

“COVID-19 has put 100 million Americans on the chopping block, and if Congress doesn’t continue to act, they may never recover from the economic devastation,” she said. “In the spirit of the holiday season and in the name of basic decency, the Senate should follow our lead and pass this bill.”

Comments