Wisconsin Democrats support President Trump's call for $2,000 stimulus checks

WISN - The fate of stimulus checks for millions of Americans is up in the air.

"It really is a disgrace. I'm asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 per couple,” President Donald Trump said in a video on Twitter.

He did not directly say if he would veto the bill, but he did threaten not to sign it into law.

Wisconsin Democrats who are throwing their support behind the president and some Republicans may be waiting to see how this all plays out.

"We are mortgaging our children's future," U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Friday.

Johnson grabbed headlines on Friday when he blocked a bill calling for $1,200 individual payments.

When Congress settled on $600 instead, Johnson was just one of six senators to vote no.

WISN 12 News reached out to Johnson on Wednesday, about Trump's call for $2,000 checks. Johnson has not replied.

Local U.S. House Republicans, who all voted against the $600 plan, also did not respond to WISN 12 News’ request for comment about the president's push for bigger stimulus checks.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, meanwhile, tweeted her support of the president's call for $2,000 checks, saying "Sadly, Trump forgets about the plan I put forward in March to provide $2,000 stimulus checks that Mitch McConnell has rejected for nine months."

Baldwin, who was not available to speak to WISN 12 News on Wednesday, co-sponsored a COVID-19 relief package last spring that was not passed.

Wisconsin House Democrats also back the higher payments. Gwen Moore told WISN 12 News in a statement, "I applaud Trump for joining us all in these efforts and I will support $2,000 cash payments."

Congressman Mark Pocan also tweeted his support, while Congressman Ron Kind did not comment Wednesday but said on Monday that the current $600 payment likely isn't enough.

"I would not be surprised if we need to get right back to work again early next year to find out what additional assistance is necessary," Kind said.

The Wisconsin Republicans all voted against the original relief bill, but many of them said they voted against the bill, not because of the stimulus payments, but because they only had a short time to assess a bill that more than 5,000 pages long and filled with too many other things for them to support.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a vote on increasing direct payments for Americans could take place as soon as Thursday.