Fresh off former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, House Democrats will now look to create a single COVID-19 relief bill that will look to get stimulus checks into the hands of many Americans.
What’s going on?
Per CNN, the House Budget Committee will create a final bill this week based off measures approved by nine other committees in Congress. Most of the measures align with President Joe Biden’s desires for the plan.
- The House could pass legislation as soon as next week, according to CNN.
However, the Senate will need to approve the bill as well, per CNN. The Democrats would need all of their party members to approve the plan for it to reach a 50-50 split, which Vice President Kamala Harris would decide through a tiebreaking vote.
Two Democrats — Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, of Arizona, and Joe Manchin, of West Virginia — have opposed elements of the plan, including raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, according to Fox News.
So what does this mean for stimulus checks?
Currently, the House bill calls for direct payments of $1,400 per person and $5,600 for every family of four, which I wrote about for the Deseret News.
- Those earning less than $75,000 would receive the full amount, according to the current plan. Married couples earning under $150,000 would also see the full amount, as I explained for the Deseret News.
- People who earn more than $100,000 and families earning more than $200,000 would not receive a stimulus check under the current plan, per CNN.