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Everything is on deck in Georgia with just one week before two elections that will determine the fate of the Senate and the first two years in office of President-elect Joe Biden.
Politicians and policy makers, meanwhile, fear that an ongoing debate over stimulus controls is a factor in the two races between incumbent GOP Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and their Democratic opponents, Jon Ossoff. and Raphael Warnock. Republicans have accepted individual stimulus checks of up to $ 600 for all eligible Americans until President Trump intervened last week and said he would veto any bill that did not provide $ 2,000.
By asking for extra money, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will block in the Senate and which traditional republicans opposeThe president is setting expectations too high and making Republicans look bad ahead of the Georgia election next Tuesday, GOP lawmakers say.
Republican Senator John Cornyn told reporters this week that by focusing on additional stimulus funds, Trump was diverting voters from celebrating Republican achievements. “I think we are focusing on the $ 900 billion that we have already approved, and that [Treasury] Secretary Mnuchin helped us negotiate, which he has now signed, instead of taking proper credit for these good things, focusing on that, I think, mine… the very positive impact that we are already having done, ”he said.
To add to the problems, new numbers from Georgia show a record increase in early voting, which tends to bode well for Democrats as Republicans are more likely to vote on the same day. More than 2.3 million people had voted Tuesday morning by mail or advance poll in person, more than any second ballot in the state’s history. The turnout of blacks was a higher percentage of the electorate than in the November general election, and the turnout in Democratic Congressional Districts was also higher.
This means that in order to win, Republicans must boost turnout and focus on Election Day. It also means any ongoing struggle between Trump and McConnell over the $ 2,000 stimulus check will have a bigger impact on Republican voters than Democratic voters.
The outcome of the races in Georgia will determine the majority party in the Senate and could make huge differences in future COVID relief plans, health care bills and student debt cancellation.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will campaign in Peach State this week, and former President Barack Obama and musician John Legend have released a new campaign ad for Ossoff.
Both Loeffler and Perdue have said they support the $ 2,000 stimulus check proposal. Meanwhile, the Treasury released a statement on Tuesday saying physical checks for the already approved $ 600 stimulus would be sent from Wednesday.
More political cover of Fortune:
- Why a key Georgia county went from red to blue –and what it means for democrats
- Pfizer, Trump and Biden: a twisted triangle that complicating relief from COVID-19
- Biden’s First 100 Days: Student loan debt isn’t going anywhere
- Congressional COVID-19 relief bill includes $ 15 billion for Broadway, small concert halls, theaters
- PPP borrowers get the tax break the IRS tried to reverse
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