With Democrats in control of the US Senate, it will be significantly easier for President-elect Joe Biden to push through additional stimulus measures, including a third round of stimulus that could be $2,000 per capita

As of 4:30 pm Eastern time Wednesday (January 6), several news outlets, including the Associated Press, CBS News, the Washington Post, and CNN, had predicted that Democrat Jon Ossoff would defeat Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue by approximately 27,000 votes in Georgia's runoff election and predicted that he would win the election

Earlier on Wednesday, the Rev Raphael Warnock, also a Democrat, was declared the winner in Georgia's other Senate runoff, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler

The media outlets declared Ossoff the winner after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, clashing with Capitol police and forcing the evacuation of lawmakers The House and Senate had met jointly to accept the Electoral College vote for Biden

In an unusual move to accept the Electoral College vote, more than 100 Republican House members and about a dozen Republican Senators objected to the process, forcing a debate on the results in each disputed state As the lawmakers began debating the Arizona outcome, a pro-Trump mob banged on the door and the building was sealed off

After the tumult, the Senate will be split 50-50 between the two parties, with incoming Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in the Senate after January 20, giving Democrats control of both houses and the White House for the first time since 2011

So what does this mean for the upcoming stimulus bill and stimulus checks? Both are more likely to be brought to a vote, but Senate Republicans still have the power to block bills they don't like

Biden said Monday (Jan 4) that he would support a third round of a $2,000-per-person stimulus package

According to Fox Business, "If we send John and the Reverend [Warnock] to Washington, the $2,000 check will be paid up front," Biden said while supporting the Democratic candidate at a campaign rally in Atlanta 'And if we send both Congressmen Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, the $2,000 check will be up front If we send Congressmen Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, the checks will never arrive It's that simple"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Wednesday that "a united Democratic Party will advance extraordinary progress," according to Politico

Late last month, President Trump threatened not to sign a second stimulus relief bill until he raised the $600 check that was part of the bill to $2,000, but he relented when Republican leaders in Congress said they could not support it

The first round of stimulus checks, issued in March 2020, cost $1,200 each, and the $2,000 amount appears to have been initiated by a group of left-leaning Democrats, not the Democratic leadership

Controlling the Senate would allow Democrats to set the agenda and bring bills to a vote, but it would not allow them to do whatever they want

Because of the filibuster rule in the Senate, nearly all bills must pass the 100-seat chamber by 60 votes instead of 50 Democrats would need at least 10 Republicans to pass a large spending bill, and it is unlikely that there are that many Republicans who could be persuaded to support a $2,000 stimulus check

In the House, Democrats have only 11 seats, so they could block the bill with fewer than 10 Democrat defectors As in the Senate, moderates from both parties will hold the balance of power

The results of the Ossoff-Perdue and Loeffler-Warnock caucuses have not yet been finalized Military ballots and overseas ballots will be mailed out by Friday, January 8

If the margin of victory in either race is less than 05%, the losing candidate may request a recount The vote margin between Ossoff and Perdue is currently about 05% 6% Percent