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Following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in which former Vice President Joe Biden had been declared the winner, Americans awaited word on a second round of stimulus check payments to provide relief during the economic downturn in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Oct. 30, 2020, President Donald Trump took questions outside the White House prior to boarding Marine One. The last question from the news media was about when stimulus relief may be coming, with a reporter asking: Stimulus. Are you, what about, what's happening here? Trump answered, beginning in the video at the 5:54 mark: It is true that Trump said that, We will have a tremendous stimulus package immediately after the election. In the week after the election, CNBC reported on Nov. 9 that it could take until January before more coronavirus stimulus relief is finalized. As for what a payment amount might be in a second round of stimulus checks, Business Insider reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it would be smaller than the first stimulus checks, which promised varying payments dictated by income of $1,200 for individuals, or $2,400 for married couples, plus $500 for each child under age 17. He cited a jobs report that said the economy gained 638,000 jobs in October, using that as a reason to support a slimmer relief plan instead of the more ambitious bill Democrats want. McConnell mentioned the reason for the second payment likely being smaller than the first one sent out in April as being more appropriate because the coronavirus is not going away until we get a vaccine. Democrats previously introduced comprehensive legislation on May 12 that included direct payments, passing the bill in the U.S. House on May 15 with no Republican support. Trump dismissed the bill as being dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate. The Associated Press reported on Oct. 29 that talks between Democrats and Republicans had dragged on for months without producing results. The Associated Press also noted in October that talks during lame-duck sessions often fail to deliver. Despite opposition from the Trump administration, President-elect Joe Biden is currently in the process of transitioning into the White House ahead of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2021. Biden has laid out his incoming administration's plan to combat coronavirus (COVID-19) and prepare for future global health threats, which includes economic relief. In 2009, Biden looked on as President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, passing a stimulus package that initially provided $400 for individuals and $800 for couples. The economic relief came in the wake of the Great Recession that began prior to Obama's 2009 inauguration. At this time, there has been no official announcement regarding if or when more stimulus checks are coming.
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