Trump wants Congress to approve stimulus checks for 'more money than they're talking about'

• As his time in office nears its end, President Donald Trump is once again asking Congress to include another round of stimulus payments in the next federal coronavirus relief package.
• "Right now, I want to see checks — for more money than they're talking about — going to people," Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday.
• Members of Congress are discussing a $908 billion bipartisan relief package that does not include any money for a new round of direct payments to Americans.
• It's unclear whether Congress will pass this package before the Biden administration takes over on January 20.

President Donald Trump is spending his final weeks in office urging Congress to include another round of direct payments to Americans in the next coronavirus relief package.

Speaking with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, Trump said he wanted stimulus checks to be approved for "more money" than is currently on the table.

"I'm pushing it very hard, and to be honest with you, if the Democrats really wanted to do the deal, they'd do the deal," Trump said in the interview, which aired Sunday morning.

"Right now, I want to see checks - for more money than they're talking about - going to people," he added.

After months of stalemate and inconclusive discussions, Congress has once again resumed relief talks, this time turning to a $908 billion bipartisan package that does not include any money for stimulus checks.

In October, the Democratic-led House passed a $2.2 trillion package. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struck it down and proposed a $500 billion bill as an alternative. Then discussions reached another stalemate, as Democrats disagreed with the steep downsize and Republicans refused to budge higher.

Congress most recently approved a round of direct payments in May, which gave millions of Americans $1,200 each to offset the financial difficulties brought on by the pandemic. Since then, various signs, such as a dip in grocery spending, have suggested Americans are hurting for cash.

With President-elect Joe Biden scheduled to take office on January 20, it's unclear whether Congress will even pass the $908 billion measure in time for the bill to make it to Trump.

The proposal was intended to be a compromise between the two parties. But Republican lawmakers, including McConnell, are signaling that they are opposed to the package.

The Republican Senate leader said Trump would not want to sign off on the package as it stands.

"At the risk of repeating something we all know, making law will require not just the Senate's approval, but also the signature of the president of the United States," McConnell said in a statement earlier this month.

He said his own plan - which is a slimmed-down version of the $908 billion proposal - would go through.

As Business Insider's Mia Jankowicz reported, neither the $908 billion package nor McConnell's proposal includes additional money for another round of relief payments.

The White House has been pushing for a second round of direct payments for weeks.

Two senators are echoing the president's pleas to Congress. The independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri have teamed up to urge Congress to allocate enough money in the next bill to give $1,200 to every American who earns up to $75,000.