This is rare.  Senator Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are in agreement over issuing $2000 stimulus checks. And both are in a showdown with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over the matter. Today Sanders said, “$2000 checks is a matter of life and death for millions of Americans.” He made his argument today from the Senate floor (watch above).

Sanders also spoke directly about McConnell’s constituents in Kentucky.

But there are no signs that McConnell is budging. The Washington Post writes:

McConnell (R-Ky.) said that a proposal from Democrats to approve $2,000 stimulus checks has “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate,” effectively killing one of President Trump’s top priorities in the final days of his presidency.

“The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats’ rich friends who don’t need the help,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.
McConnell is also accused of playing politics with the stimulus payouts, trying to tack issues onto the bill that he knows Democrats would never agree to. The New York Times writes:
McConnell, who along with members of his conference have long resisted the idea of larger payments, on Tuesday introduced his own legislation combining provisions on the $2,000 checks, election security and social media into one bill. He insisted that the three demands be addressed together, though Mr. Trump never issued such a mandate.