#Americans begin to receive $600 COVID-19 stimulus checks

Some Americans already received their economic stimulus checks Tuesday night, with more to see a $600 direct deposit on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin said in a Tuesday night tweet that the government was in the process of delivering the much-needed economic aid to Americans, even as lawmakers battle over whether to up the relief amount to $2,000.

“@USTreasury has delivered a payment file to the @FederalReserve for Americans’ Economic Impact Payments,” Mnuchin tweeted. “These payments may begin to arrive in some accounts by direct deposit as early as tonight and will continue into next week.”

People who have government-registered bank accounts will receive the payments first. The Treasury will begin mailing out physical checks on Wednesday for individuals who do not have direct deposit set up with the IRS.

The delivery of the funds comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blocked unanimous passage of the $2,000 COVID-19 stimulus checks requested by President Trump.

Trump requested the $2,000 checks last week, saying the $600 checks approved as part of a $2.3 trillion pandemic relief and government funding bill were too small.

McConnell has scheduled a Wednesday vote to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense bill.

It’s unclear if enough Senate Democrats will rally behind an attempted filibuster, or if the override vote will proceed without McConnell agreeing to a deal on $2,000 checks.