Rep. Fleischmann: Relief Bill 'Political Football' Ahead of Georgia

The matter of the $2,000 coronavirus relief checks sought by President Donald Trump and demanded by Democrats has become a "political football" with the Senate race looming in Georgia when aid should have been finished "months ago," Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said Thursday. 

"We're in a position right now where still the Democrats are playing politics with these issues," the Tennessee Republican told Fox Business' "Mornings With Maria." "This was a non-issue until a week or so ago. We've got hard, good, fast relief out to the American people who needed it, with stimulus checks. The $600 checks are hitting now. Aid to people with unemployment, that supplement is there, aid to small businesses."

He added that Congress should be given credit for cutting costs, as opposed to increasing costs with higher amounts on checks. 

"This came in at under $1 trillion, as opposed to adding $484 trillion more to it," said Fleischmann. 

Economist Stephen Moore, who was also on the segment, said he's "angry at everybody," including Trump, for proposing the $2,000 checks over the $600 checks that were approved. 

"Two thousand dollars is absurd [and] $10,000 per family is crazy," said Moore. "The only way that the government can give a dollar to you is to take a dollar from me. There's no free money in Washington. It's all redistribution."

Fleischmann explained that "everything got bogged down in politics" because of a divided Congress versus a "very strong-willed, principled White House that wanted certain things done."

The payroll tax issue was not going to pass, he added, but he does believe that when there has to be federal spending, it needs to go to an area where it will get the "most bang for the buck" and that is helping frontline workers.

"We need to save small businesses," he said. "During the pandemic, we have lost so many small businesses that will never come back. As the dust settles and we get past the political charades, we need to sit down as legislators in both houses with the White House and make sure that we get it right the next time."

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