Biden limits eligibility for stimulus payments under pressure from moderate Senate Democrats [View all]
Last edited Wed Mar 3, 2021, 12:36 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Washington Post
President Biden has agreed to narrow eligibility for a new round of $1,400 stimulus payments in his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, under pressure from moderate Senate Democrats who’ve pushed for more “targeted” spending in the bill. Under the new structure, the checks would phase out faster for those at higher income levels, compared to the way the direct payments were structured in Biden’s initial proposal and the version of the bill passed by the House on Saturday.
The new structure would phase out checks for individuals making $80,000 a year and above and couples making $160,000 a year, or higher. The original proposal, which is included in the bill that passed the House, had phased out the payments for individuals making $75,000 a year and couples who made $200,000 a year. The changes were confirmed by a Democratic aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations.
The change comes as the Senate prepares to take an initial procedural vote to move forward on the bill as early as Wednesday afternoon. Biden and Senate Democratic leaders are scrambling to keep their caucus united since they can’t lose a single Democrat in the 50-50 Senate with Republicans united against the legislation. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) was among those who had called for changing the eligibility levels for checks, telling reporters this week: “I think we could drop it below the $200,000 and still get households that really need it.” She said she would hope to redirect the savings from that change toward other needs, such as hospitals.
Narrowing eligibility for the stimulus checks was just one change moderates like Shaheen and Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) had been seeking. Several were also eyeing changing the structure of federal unemployment benefits in the bill, to keep them at $300 -- their current level -- rather than raise them to $400 as proposed by Biden and passed by the House. That change will not be adopted by Senate Democrats, the aide said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/03/03/biden-limits-eligibility-stimulus-payments-under-pressure-moderate-senate-democrats/
Original article -
March 3, 2021 at 11:01 a.m. EST
The plan would phase out the $1,400 payments faster for higher-income individuals after moderate Senate Democrats pushed for more “targeted” spending. The change comes as the Senate prepares to move forward with an initial procedural vote on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief bill.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
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