$ 2,000 stimulus checks set to be part of Joe Biden’s emerging relief plan

President-elect Joe Biden’s new economic relief plan, due to be released Thursday, could include $ 2,000 stimulus checks for eligible Americans.

Biden has often said that another stimulus package is a high priority for his administration. It might be easier to gain support for the new package when Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate, an event that won’t happen until Georgia’s new Democratic senators are sworn in in January. Biden said on Monday he had discussed his new stimulus proposal with GOP members, implying a desire for bipartisan support for the package.

“My priority is to pass, first and foremost, a stimulus bill and, second, to rebuild the economy again,” Biden said. “I have spoken with some of my Republican colleagues about the possibility of passing a second package as soon as possible.”

While details of the new stimulus package have not been released by Biden’s transition team, some observers expect it to include an extension of the increase in unemployment benefits and funding for the delivery and dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines.

Although Democrats Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock defeated their Republican opponents in the January special election in Georgia, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has until January 22 to officially certify the election results. Once that happens, Democrats will hold 50 Senate seats. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, in her role as Speaker of the Senate, is expected to cast any deciding votes that would give Democrats the advantage in the Senate.

Biden expressed support for the $ 600 checks in December, but said further relief was needed, describing the proposal as a “big down payment on what needs to be done from late January through February.”

In a January campaign speech on behalf of Warnock and Ossoff, Biden said their election would speed up delivery of the $ 2,000 checks.

“If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington,” Biden said, “these checks for $ 2,000 will be sent, giving hope, decency and honor to so many who are struggling now.”

Biden warned at a January press conference that his stimulus package would come at a steep price. According to Biden, economists said that “we should invest large sums now” to avoid a collapse of the US economy in the future.

Opposition to larger direct payments still exists. West Virginia Democratic Representative Joe Manchin said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that he was not in favor of “sending checks to people who already have one.” If Manchin decides to vote against Biden’s proposal, at least one Republican senator will have to side with the Democrats for Biden’s proposal to pass.

GOP Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida both backed direct payments of $ 2,000 after President Donald Trump called for higher stimulus checks in December. Passage of a stand-alone bill that would have allowed stimulus payments of $ 2,000 was blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Newsweek has contacted Biden’s transition team for comment.