Georgia Democrats Enraged After Democrats Break Their Promise Of $2,000 Stimulus Checks: “I Lied To Them. I Was Lying To Them The Whole Time,” Says Campaign Worker
Georgia voters are reportedly fuming after Democrats broke their campaign promise of a $2,000 coronavirus stimulus check with President Joe Biden endorsing a coronavirus relief plan that includes a $1,400 direct checks to Americans instead.
Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who were also sworn in Wednesday, both repeatedly referenced the $2,000 checks in the campaign trail during the Senate runoff against Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.
Even President Biden used the stimulus check to encourage Georgia voters into electing Warnock and Ossoff.
Biden, Warnock, Ossoff all promised US$2K checks
“If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door, restoring hope and decency and honor for so many people who are struggling right now,” Biden said in Atlanta earlier this month.
“And if you send Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It’s just that simple. The power is literally in your hands,” he added.
Both Warnock and Ossoff ended up narrowly winning the races against the Republican incumbents — and in the process handing the Senate control to Democrats, who also controls the House of Representatives and the White House.
In a series of tweets and televised appearance, Ossoff also used the $2,000 stimulus check issue to attack then incumbent Senator Perdue.
“If David Perdue really wanted $2000 direct relief checks for the people, he’d be on the floor of the Senate demanding McConnell put up the House bill for a vote,” Ossoff said at one point.
If David Perdue really wanted $2000 direct relief checks for the people, he'd be on the floor of the Senate demanding McConnell put up the House bill for a vote. pic.twitter.com/5lA9POLYcF
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) December 30, 2020
Separately, he also slammed former President Donald Trump for approving “just” $600 in the latest direct payments to Americans — although the Republican president pushed Congress for a US2,000.
“I don’t know where President Trump has been for the last eight months, while his allies in the US Senate have been blocking this relief,”Ossoff said that time. “Trump is, as ever, erratic and all over the place, but on this point, tonight, he’s right. $600 is a joke. They should send $2,000 checks to the American people right now because people are hurting.”
“Betrayal of working class”
But with Biden espousing a $1,400 COVID-19 check instead of a US$2,000 that they so strongly promised during the campaign, Georgia Democrats were reportedly disappointed about it.
“Warnock and Ossoff made it a point to endorse and exclusively say ‘$2,000 checks,’” Georgia Democrat Oscar Zaro said in an interview with Mediaite. “A lot of the people in my district voted blue in the runoff for two main reasons. One: Loeffler and Perdue denying us relief during COVID while profiting millions themselves; and two, $2,000 checks.”
Another Democrat, Rogelio Linares, who served as a canvasser during the runoff elections on January 5, also told Mediaite that the broken promise is a “betrayal of the working class” who voted for the two Democrats largely based on this campaign promise.
“I lied to them. I was lying to them the whole time. I was lying to people that were relying on this. At the time I didn’t know it was a lie. But that was not the reality.”
“This is pretty much a betrayal of the working class,” he said of Democrats’ retreating from their promise.
“I know people are pissed off about it. People are very mad about it.”
“Bad sign” for Biden admin
Another Georgia voter, Justin Wade, told the publication that the broken promise of $2,000 is “a bad sign” that could be a preview of what’s to come.
“Prior to the runoff, I saw numerous ads and statements promising $2,000 stimulus checks. Many of these were made after the $600 checks went out.”
“Warnock, Ossoff, [Vice President-elect] Kamala [Harris], and others have all pushed for $2,000 checks, but none of them have called on Biden to push for $2,000 checks in addition to the $600 checks,” he said.
“Considering the Democrats control Congress and the presidency, they could’ve pushed for more if they wanted to. This is a bad sign for how they will govern for the next four years,” Wade told Mediaite.
Video clips of Warnock and Ossoff promising the $2,000 checks started circulating online.
I don't know you tell me what this says to you pic.twitter.com/9BsCKwQepc
— Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) January 15, 2021
“We will be able to pass $2,000 stimulus checks for the people next week when we win these races in Georgia and get economic relief directly into the bank accounts of the people who are suffering right now,” Ossoff said in the video.
The check in this campaign ad sure doesn't fucking read $1,400.00. pic.twitter.com/qReorINQaH
— 🌽 John, Texas socialist 🌽 (@FLAContention) January 16, 2021
Warnock also shared a photo of a $2,000 check ahead of the January 5 runoff at the Peach State.
Biden’s first broken promise
Atlanta-based YouTuber Mac Holmes also told Mediaite that it’s an “outright lie” when Democrats try to justify that the $2,000 is the combination of the US$600 earlier approved and already disbursed by the Trump administration and now, the US$1,400 being pushed by Biden.
“If they meant $1,400 on top of the previous $600, why continue advertising $2,000 checks after the $600 was already passed? That’s at best misleading and at worst an outright lie.”
“The US$2,000 checks were one of the main reasons Democrats flipped Georgia.”
Others tagged the issue as “Biden’s first broken campaign promise.”
Biden's first broken campaign promise. They need to own this and fix it fast. For the (political) sake of Warnock and Ossoff, if no one else. https://t.co/GTtszqrXC2
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) January 15, 2021
“Biden’s first broken campaign promise. They need to own this and fix it fast. For the (political) sake of Warnock and Ossoff, if no one else,” said NBC Peacock host Mehdi Hasan.
