Poll: 75% of Voters Say Stimulus Check Amount Too Low

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Jan 05, 2021 05:25 AM EST

(Photo : Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

Three-fourths of voters surveyed in a Hill-HarriX poll said the stimulus check amounting to $600 was "too low."

The amount of stimulus check was set after President Donald Trump signed the coronavirus relief bill on December 27.

Meanwhile, 15 percent of the registered voters who participated in the poll said the stimulus check amount was just right, and 8 percent thought it was too much. However, the data reported by The Hill still stands that most voters thought the stimulus check was too low.

The poll was conducted from December 30 to January 3 among 3,787 votes with a margin of error or 1.59 percentage points.

Most Political Parties Agree $600 Stimulus Check Amount Too Low

Most people from either political party also agreed that $600 wasn't enough for Americans struggling to keep afloat amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Some 77 percent of Democrats and independents said the amount was too low, and 71 percent of Republicans also agree to this sentiment, reported Daily Caller.

"Voters across party affiliation and income levels are of a consistent view that $600 in COVID relief is too little," HarrisX CEO and chief pollster Dritan Nesho said in an interview with The Hill.

Nesho pointed out that a majority of individuals agreed with the president and the Democratic Party in believing that $2,000 seemed to be an appropriate amount for stimulus checks.

Around 57 percent of voters said $2,000 was "about the right amount" for stimulus checks, the poll stated. On top of that, more support is needed to assist Americans amid the pandemic, Nesho added.

'Stimulus Check Too Low' Sentiment a Pressure Point into More COVID Relief

Nesho said the amount set for stimulus checks could be a "pressure point" for Senate Republicans and the incoming Biden administration that will start in a few weeks.

This pressure could lead to another round of COVID relief and stimulus checks, Nesho predicted.

On December 21, the Congress voted an overwhelming majority to pass the $900 billion stimulus package alongside the $1.4 trillion government spending bill.

As described in summary from Congress, the package allowed $600 direct payments to Americans who make less than $75,000 in a year. It also gives $1,200 for couples who earn lower than $150,000 annually, followed by $600 for every child.

The stimulus check amount was one of Trump's reasons why he was hesitant to sign the bill at first because he wanted bigger checks.

The president's call earned bipartisan support but failed to get passed as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to take up the motion.

Other items that Trump wanted to change from the stimulus package were some spending that he considered unnecessary.

He said the bill included "wasteful items," foreign aid, and environmental funding assistance, which he wanted to be withdrawn from it.

Trump also called for additions to the bill like support for small businesses but ultimately signed it after being urged by several lawmakers into doing so.

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