$600 stimulus checks hit more bank accounts on New Year's Day, how to track yours
ORLANDO, Fla. - More Americans are starting to receive their $600 stimulus checks.
A FOX 35 viewer said three people in her household woke up on New Year's Day to find the money deposited in their accounts.
Americans began receiving the $600 payments this week after Congress passed a second COVID-19 relief bill totaling roughly $900 billion. The package came with stimulus checks for Americans and additional unemployment benefits.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the payments will continue into next week. He later added that "paper checks will begin to be mailed tomorrow."
Recipients can use the IRS’ track my payment tool to check the status of their funds. The vast majority of eligible households will not need to take any action in order to receive their payments. (NOTE: This tool is temporarily offline and the IRS has not stated when it will be back. Please check back).
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President Donald Trump had pushed for bigger $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks. The House passed bipartisan legislation earlier this week to boost the forthcoming coronavirus stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000 after Trump demanded it, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a quick vote on that stand-alone legislation Tuesday, according to FOX News.
"It's amazing to see the patience that some people have with other people's suffering," Pelosi said at a news conference Wednesday. "These Republicans in the Senate seem to have an endless tolerance."
McConnell again blocked a quick action on $2,000 coronavirus stimulus checks on the Senate floor Thursday as he traded harsh words with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
McConnell, in floor remarks, lambasted the House-passed bill for $2,000 stimulus checks as "socialism for rich people," in his most direct comments to date on his opposition to President Trump's request that stimulus checks be boosted from $600 in the recently passed stimulus.
"The data show that many upper-middle class Americans have kept their job, work remotely and remain totally financially comfortable," McConnell said. "On the other hand, some of our fellow citizens have had their entire existence is turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly. We do not need to let the speaker of the House do socialism for rich people in order to help those who need help."
RELATED: Bernie Sanders agrees with Trump’s push for more coronavirus stimulus
Schumer, D-N.Y., replied that McConnell is just trying to stall to prevent the checks from being passed. He said the majority leader's insistence that the Senate only consider checks along with other Trump priorities including repealing controversial Section 230 liability protections for online platforms and investigating election security would make it impossible for any to become law.
FOX News contributed to this report.
Watch FOX 35 News for the latest on the COVID-19 relief debate.