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The Senate voted unanimously in favor of the stimulus bill, despite claim 44 opposed
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- On March 25, the Senate voted unanimously in favor of the stimulus package that included sending direct payments of up to $1,200 to Americans. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on March 27.
- On March 22, Senate Democrats blocked the bill from moving forward over policy disagreements, including oversight of money earmarked for big businesses.
Americans have started to receive direct payments of $1,200 from the federal government as part of a $2 trillion bill aimed at bolstering an economy that has been hobbled by the coronavirus.
But online, people continue to share a list of 44 U.S. senators — 42 Democrats and two Independents — who social media posts claim "voted NOT to send stimulus checks."
They were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The post is wrong: On March 25, the Senate voted unanimously in favor of the stimulus package. The measure then passed the House on a voice vote, and President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on March 27.
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That’s not to say there wasn’t drama along the way. Policy disagreements led 47 senators to block the bill from moving forward in a procedural vote on March 22. The next day, the same procedural vote failed 49-46 (Republicans needed 60 votes to move the bill forward and several Republican senators were in self-quarantine after Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced he tested positive for COVID-19). All 45 of the Senate’s Democrats were united in their opposition. The "main hang-up on the bill," Vox reported, was that Democrats objected to $500 billion earmarked for big companies and industries affected by the coronavirus.
As the bill was then written, the money "would be under the discretion of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Democrats want rules and regulations around the funds to direct them to the workers — not CEOS," according to Vox.
Under the bipartisan bill that ultimately became law, Americans earning up ro $75,000 will receive payments of $1,200. Those making up to $99,000 will get smaller payments, and families are also set to receive an additional $500 per child.
We rate this Facebook post False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, April 5, 2020
The New York Times, Senate approves $2 trillion stimulus after bipartisan deal, March 25, 2020
The New York Times, $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill is signed into law, March 27, 2020
Vox, The Senate impasse over the massive $1.8 trillion coronavirus stimulus, explained, March 23, 2020
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The Senate voted unanimously in favor of the stimulus bill, despite claim 44 opposed
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