Democrats in the House have a plan to send American citizens another round of stimulus checks, worth a maximum of USD 6,000 per family. This is part of the coronavirus relief package sent out on Tuesday, which is worth USD 3 trillion, being the biggest one ever.
Similar to the initial round of payments the Congress sent out in March, this new proposal suggests sending USD 1,200 to people that earn less than USD 75,000 a year, or USD 150,00 for in the case of couples. This stimulus package would be a lot more generous to families with children, giving 1,200 per child, up to three dependents. The March stimulus package gave USD 500 for each child under 17.
These payments may not make it to the American people. Republican leaders in the Senate have declared that the bill has no chance of passing, as states will reopen, and people will start to earn money again.
The bill proposed by Democrats would also have the effect of extending the unprecedented enhancement of unemployment benefits, which were part of the legislation given out in March. The democratic bill mentions extending the USD 600 federal unemployment benefits until January, not until July, as it is currently the case.
The proposed bill would also uphold the benefits of the self-employed, gig workers, and independent contractors until March, not until December.
This bill was named “The Heroes Act,” and it would create a fund worth USD 200 billion to give hazard pay to essential workers who kept working during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was not included in the previous economic stimulus packages.
The House also brought forward the proposal to send more money for causes previously supported in Congress’ legislation. Nearly USD 1 trillion would be sent to local, state, and territorial governments, which have significant issues with their budget as tax revenues go down due to the shutdown of non-essential businesses and the loss of jobs.
The paper has been published on CNN Politics.