Ossoff: Congress “should send $2,000 checks to the American people right now because people are hurting.”
Perdue “fought against” even the first round of stimulus checks while Ossoff has continually pressured Perdue to end his opposition to $1,200 checks
Atlanta, Ga. — Last night, investigative journalist and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Jon Ossoff joined guest host Laura Coates on “CNN Tonight” to discuss the recent COVID relief legislation passed by Congress and call for $2,000 stimulus checks. While Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.) has touted the relief bill, yesterday President Trump called the bill’s $600 checks “ridiculously low” and called for $2,000 in relief.
During the interview, Ossoff slammed Sen. Perdue for obstructing relief for months only to cut stimulus checks in half, saying “Just like David Perdue and Mitch McConnell blocked stimulus payments since mid-summer, just like they cut down the $1,200 proposal to a measly $600 when so many of their own constituents are hurting, they will block the COVID relief that we need in the new year if they hold on to power.”
Ossoff called directly on Congress to deliver $2,000 in direct financial relief to struggling Americans, saying “President Trump is as ever, erratic and all over the place, but on this point tonight, he’s right. $600 is a joke. They should send $2,000 checks to the American people right now because people are hurting.”
Ossoff has made delivering direct financial relief a cornerstone of his campaign, blasting Perdue in ads, during interviews, and at campaign stops for being “personally opposed” to and having “fought against” the initial round of $1,200 stimulus checks.
Recent reporting revealed that Mitch McConnell admitted Perdue was “getting hammered” over Congress’ failure to pass additional relief.
WATCH:
Key highlights of the interview can be found below:
“$600 is a joke. Look, families have credit cards maxed out, unable to afford prescriptions, the rent, the car payment.
“The United States Senate has blocked direct stimulus payments for the American people for eight months, and this is exactly why we have to win these two Senate races
“Because just like David Perdue and Mitch McConnell blocked stimulus payments since mid-summer, just like they cut down the $1,200 proposal to a measly $600 when so many of their own constituents are hurting, they will block the COVID relief that we need in the new year if they hold on to power.
“They will block the investment in jobs and infrastructure and clean energy that we need. They will block the civil rights and voting rights legislation that we need.
“I urge the United States Congress to pass additional direct stimulus payments of $2,000 to every American right now.
“People are hurting. It’s the holidays. There’s been eight months of inaction, and they need to get real about the suffering of the people and get direct relief to the people.
“Well, I don’t know where President Trump has been for the last eight months while his allies in the U.S. Senate have been blocking this relief.
“President Trump is as ever, erratic and all over the place, but on this point tonight, he’s right. $600 is a joke.
“They should send $2,000 checks to the American people right now because people are hurting.
“And David Perdue, my opponent, who opposed even the first round of $1,200 checks – imagine that. Imagine a sitting U.S. Senator, who was profiting from the pandemic buying medical and vaccine stocks, opposed even the first single round of $1200 checks, has obstructed direct relief for the last eight months.
“And now decided he wanted to cut it down to $600 bucks when people can barely feed their families through no fault of their own.
“Congress should pass $2,000 checks. They should have done it two months ago.”
…
“But look what just happened with this battle over economic relief.
“It’s Mitch McConnell and his allies like David Perdue who obstructed direct relief for eight months and then slashed it in half to a meager $600 when people are hurting.
“That is what they will do. They will obstruct and block legislation that is urgently needed by the American people at a moment of crisis next year.
“Look, Donald Trump is leaving. We have the opportunity to define the next era in our history, and we should be ambitious.
“We need to beat this virus, get every American free testing and vaccines, get direct economic relief to the people, invest in infrastructure and clean energy and jobs to tackle this environmental crisis and rebuild our economy, pass landmark civil rights and voting rights legislation.
“There is so much good work to do. I want people out there to feel excited about what’s possible when we reunite this country and get things done for the people.
“But to get those things done, we have to win these Senate races or McConnell will try to do to Joe and Kamala just like he tried to do to President Obama.
“He’ll try to block everything, no matter what, because he’s ruthless and cares only about power for its own sake.”
# # #
