WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders are pushing for another round of stimulus payments of up to $1,200 per person in new coronavirus relief legislation that’s headed for a vote on Friday.
The eligibility criteria are similar to the first round approved in late March, with some changes.
The legislation provides up to $1,200 in payments (or $2,400 for married couples), with an extra $1,200 per dependent for a maximum of three.
The income thresholds are the same as the CARES Act, with money for people making up to $99,000 and couples up to $198,000. The amount starts to reduce from $1,200 after $75,000 and $150,000, respectively, according to the text.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday that for many Americans the new direct payments are “necessary for their survival,” and also serve as “stimulus to the economy.”
Like the CARES Act, the payments would be based on 2019 tax returns. For those who haven’t filed yet, they would be based on 2018 returns. Seniors who are on Social Security would also get benefits based on information on file, and other non-filers would be able to apply for a payment.
The $3 trillion legislation would also include funding for: extending the $600 per week unemployment benefits in CARES 2 through January; nearly $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments; hazard pay for some essential workers; expanding coronavirus testing, contract tracing and treatment; enhancing tax credits for employers to keep workers on their payroll; providing full COBRA subsidies for those who lost their employer-provided health care coverage; additional money for the U.S. Postal Service; and support to help renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments.
The legislation removes the CARES Act’s requirement of a Social Security number, meaning that immigrants who file returns with a taxpayer identification number (or TIN) can get money.
The provision is part of the 1,815-page proposal in the legislation that’s headed for a vote in the Democratic-led House on Friday. But its prospects in the Republican-run Senate are far from certain.
Michael Zona, a spokesman for Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, called the overall legislation “DOA in the Senate,” though he didn’t comment specifically on the stimulus money.
“Sen. Grassley will work with his colleagues on Phase 4 legislation if it becomes necessary,” Zona said in an email. “It’s too early to say what that legislation might encompass. It would need to address any ongoing problems in an effective manner.”
A summary from House Democratic committee leaders said the cash would act as “cushioning the economic blow of the coronavirus crisis with a second round of more substantial economic impact payments.”
The first round of payments provided a lifeline to many people struggling during the pandemic. The new Democratic-led bill comes as the coronavirus continues to ravage the U.S. economy with mass shutdowns that have led to about 33 million Americans out of work and filing for jobless benefits.
