Ocasio-Cortez rails against both Democrats and Republicans who opposed $2,000 direct payments

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in a series of tweets on Monday called out her colleagues who oppose $2,000 direct coronavirus relief payments to Americans, asking lawmakers to “err on the side of helping people” as the House voted to increase the aid from the $600 approved last week.

“Notice how Republican Congressmen who like to claim they are the party of ‘personal responsibility’ refuse to take any responsibility themselves for blocking retroactive unemployment benefits, voting against $2k survival checks, stoking doubt about the pandemic to begin with, etc,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in one of several tweets.

Notice how Republican Congressmen who like to claim they are the party of “personal responsibility” refuse to take any responsibility themselves for blocking retroactive unemployment benefits, voting against $2k survival checks, stoking doubt about the pandemic to begin with, etc

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 28, 2020

The House voted 275-134 Monday evening to up the size of coronavirus aid checks to taxpayers, sending the measure, which is supported by President Trump, to the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced his intention to pass the legislation on Tuesday if no Republican lawmakers try to block the action, which is likely.

Bloomberg congressional reporter Erik Wasson tweeted that Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader (Ore.) is against the payments, reportedly saying, “People who are making six figure incomes and who have not been impact by Covid-19 do not need checks.”

Ocasio-Cortez retweeted Wasson, pointing out that aid is set to phase out for people who make more than $75,000.

“Is this really a good reason to block aid for millions,” she asked, listing multiple reasons she believed Schrader was wrong for opposing the checks. “If you’re going to err, err on the side of helping people.”

1st of all, aid starts phasing out at $75k

2. it’s already tied to outdated income info, don’t make it worse

3. Ppl who made $100k+ also had income disrupted

4. Is this really a good reason to block aid for millions

5. If you’re going to err, err on the side of helping people https://t.co/tBSuR99WLN

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 28, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez also called out Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) for reportedly saying people would only use the payments to pay off credit card debt or “new purchases online at Walmart, Best Buy or Amazon.”

“I don’t support $2k survival checks because it might help people get out of debt that our gov’t inaction helped put or keep them in in the first place.” – GOP Congressman https://t.co/BpfuvkKg9h

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 28, 2020

Fellow progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday said he would oppose the Senate’s vote to override Trump’s veto of the annual defense bill unless the direct payments measure gets a vote in the upper chamber.