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Miami, FL — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to President-Elect Joseph Biden, Jr. urging him to support stand-alone legislation to increase the direct economic impact payments to Americans struggling due to the pandemic from $600 to $2,000, without delay and without getting tied up with other legislative issues. 
 
“It would send a powerful message to the American people if, on the first day of your presidency, you called on the House and Senate to send you legislation to increase the direct economic impact payments to Americans struggling due to the pandemic from $600 to $2,000,” Rubio wrote. “Although I share many of my colleagues’ concerns about the long-term effects of this additional spending, we simply cannot ignore the fact that millions of working class families across the nation are still in desperate need of relief. At a time when they need it most, we must recognize the positive message it would send to the American people and the entire world if Republicans and Democrats came together on January 20, 2021 to put the American people first.”
 
The full text of the letter is below. 
 
Dear President-Elect Biden:
 
Last Wednesday was one of the darkest days in our history. All across our nation, people are looking for answers and demanding accountability, but they are also desperate for hope: hope that political leaders in Washington can begin taking steps to heal our deeply divided nation.
 
It would send a powerful message to the American people if, on the first day of your presidency, you called on the House and Senate to send you legislation to increase the direct economic impact payments to Americans struggling due to the pandemic from $600 to $2,000.
 
Millions of working class families are in dire need of additional relief, which is why I supported this effort last month. Unfortunately, the Senate was not able to consider the House-passed bill. 
 
Although I share many of my colleagues’ concerns about the long-term effects of this additional spending, we simply cannot ignore the fact that millions of working class families across the nation are still in desperate need of relief. At a time when they need it most, we must recognize the positive message it would send to the American people and the entire world if Republicans and Democrats came together on January 20, 2021 to put the American people first.
 
All too often, popular and necessary legislation is used as leverage to secure passage for policies that cannot pass on their own merit. We have already seen it in the midst of the pandemic when additional funding for small businesses was blocked repeatedly for months on end. Please do not allow direct payments to the American people to get caught up in the normal political games by adding a wish list of far left or other unrelated priorities to this legislation.
 
Although I will disagree with your administration frequently over the next four years, I am committed to working in good faith to advance critically important and effective policies on behalf of the people of this great nation. True recovery — economically, politically, culturally, and spiritually — will take time, and it will require creativity that spans beyond the typical partisan divides in Washington. We do not need partisan stunts, more show votes, or cynical ploys.
 
You have the ability to help break the paralysis in Washington by delivering desperately needed relief. I implore you to rise above the rhetoric and deliver an increase in assistance for American families.
 
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
 
Sincerely,
 
Related: 
English/ Español: Rubio: I Support $2000 Payments to Americans in Need