Vote on payments postponed

Republicans in the US Senate blocked a bill passed by the House of Representatives (HOR) to increase payments to Americans from six hundred to two thousand dollars. It is about personal assistance to citizens as part of a stimulus package for the US economy during a pandemic.

Earlier, White House leader Donald Trump signed the country's budget for the 2021 fiscal year and expressed hope that Congress would amend the document and increase payments to the American people and small businesses. But Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that there could be no quick vote on entitlements alone.

Also, Mitch McConnell said: "The Senate will not break down separately the three issues that President Trump has tied together just because Democrats are afraid to tackle two of them".

Among the issues Democrats do not want to consider are investigating alleged irregularities in the recent US presidential election and holding social media accountable for publishing content. However, according to Democrats, these demands by Trump have nothing to do with supporting ordinary Americans.

The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on Trump's veto on Wednesday evening. A final decision could come later this week or over the weekend.