1) The prospects of approving the $2,000 stimulus checks have dimmed further. The legislation was scrambled in the final days of the 116th Congress. Democrats rapidly passed a bill with some Republican support and attempted to approve it in the GOP-led Senate. But the Senate Majority Leader blocked a vote on the checks, by eliminating Section 230 liability protections for social-media companies and reviewing purported voter fraud in the 2020 election. These contentious measures cut off Democratic support for the bill and avoided holding a vote directly on the larger checks. While a half dozen Senate Republicans have expressed support for larger checks, most have opposed additional spending on top of the $900 billion in aid.
2) There are eleven GOP senators who plan to object to certification of the election results, with Vice President Pence welcoming their move on January 6. So far, every state has certified their election results. The senators’ opposition to official certification is considered to only stall Congress by a matter of hours in finalizing the results. Nearly one-quarter of the Senate Republicans have broken with GOP leaders to join the effort to invalidate Biden’s win. Meanwhile, in the House, over half of the Republican members have said that they will vote on January 6 to block certification of the election results.
3) Nancy Pelosi has been reelected speaker of the house despite a narrow majority, for a fourth non-consecutive term, to lead the House of Representatives, despite suffering a handful of defections in a narrow vote. After serving for 17 years in charge of the House Democrats, Pelosi ran unopposed in her election. The Democrats’ had their smallest majority in decades and a pandemic that has hindered attendance. Some in her caucus have agitated for new leadership, and Republicans were unified against her. She received 216 votes, compared to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy 209 votes.
4) Stock market closings for – 31 DEC 20:
Dow 30,606.48 up by 196.92
Nasdaq 12,888.28 up by 18.28
S&P 500 3,756.07 up by 24.03
10 Year Yield: down at 0.92%
Oil: up at $48.42