House Republicans have blocked the Democrats from voting in support of the $2,000 stimulus checks.

According to CNBC, the Democrats attempted to pass a bill increasing the amount of direct payments in the final Coronavirus relief package from $600 to $2,000. They tried to approve the measure by unanimous consent, but an opposition from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy prevented the bill from moving forward.

“Today, on Christmas Eve morning, House Republicans cruelly deprived the American people of the $2,000 that the president agreed to support. If the president is serious about the $2,000 direct payments, he must call on House Republicans to end their obstruction,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Thursday morning (Dec. 24).

“On Monday, I will bring the House back to session where we will hold a recorded vote on our stand-alone bill to increase economic impact payments to $2,000,” she continued. “To vote against this bill is to deny the financial hardship that families face and to deny them the relief they need.”

As REVOLT previously reported, Donald Trump threatened not to sign the Coronavirus relief bill unless direct payments were increased from $600 to $2,000.

Aside from the stimulus checks, the $900 billion COVID-19 package — which is part of the $2.3 trillion economic relief bill — would extend the federal eviction moratorium and put more than $8 billion into distributing the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine. It would also include $300 in weekly unemployment benefits and $25 billion in rental assistance, small business aid, and education funding.

If Trump does not renew the government assistance programs, a government shutdown is slated to go into effect on Tuesday (Dec. 29). Additionally, 14 million people would lose unemployment benefits, and many Americans — protected by the moratorium — could end up homeless. Delivery of the $600 direct payments included in the relief package would also be delayed.