In the lead-up to the 2020 election, then-Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris promised that they would deliver $2,000 COVID-19 stimulus checks for struggling Americans.
According to the Daily Wire, now that President Biden’s COVID-19 relief legislation has been announced, a number of Biden voters are expressing their frustration on social media, as the direct payments included in the new package only amount to $1,400.
What happened?
In a visit to Georgia to campaign for then-Democratic Senate candidates Ralphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Biden said a vote for the candidates would mean residents of the state would soon see $2,000 payments in their bank accounts.
That promise shifted over the weekend, as Biden’s White House introduced a new COVID-19 relief package known as the “American Rescue Plan,” which contains language that would provide $1,400 stimulus checks for eligible Americans.
The Biden administration deflected on the promise of $2,000 checks, noting in the bill’s announcement that the $600 checks Americans received in the last round were a “down payment,” which added together with the $1,400 in the new bill would equal the $2,000.
.@POTUS will build on the $600 down payment provided by Congress last year, sending an additional $1,400 to households across America, totaling direct payments to $2,000 per person. pic.twitter.com/9zfBJT7t7O
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) January 30, 2021
However, on Jan. 10 Biden’s official Twitter account posted a tweet saying, “$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table. We need $2,000 stimulus checks.”
The backlash
Americans who voted for Biden — many of whom likely voted because of that $2,000 promise — took to social media over the weekend to vent their frustrations.
One Twitter user posted an image of a U.S. government check and called out the Biden administration for its cleverly-worded “down payment” cover as an excuse to not issue actual $2,000 payments
Where does this say $600 down payment + $1400 check? pic.twitter.com/TmqruhINiy
— Chef Gaykwon 🏳️🌈🚩🐧 (@GramsciFag69) January 30, 2021
According to TheBlaze, other Twitter users accused the Biden administration of “gaslighting” the public, with one Democratic voter vowing in a tweet to “Never vote D again.”
Biden and Harris already have a rocky road ahead as far as gaining support for the bill, as it would require all 50 Democratic senators and at least 10 Republican senators to pass.
