President Joe Biden has agreed with moderate Senate Democrats to change the eligibility for the $1,400 stimulus checks, CNN reports.
- The change includes cutting off payments for some individuals and couples who expected to receive payments under the original bill.
What’s different
Under the new agreement, individuals who earn less than $75,000 and couples who earn less than $150,000 will receive checks of $1,400 — the same as the House bill. However, people who earn $80,000 or more will not receive any payment, according to The Washington Post.
- “That means singles making between $80,000 and $100,000 and couples earning between $160,000 and $200,000 would be newly excluded from a partial benefit under the revised structure Biden agreed to,” according to The Washington Post.
The original version of the bill passed by the House had income caps of $200,000 for couples and $100,000 for individuals.
Adult dependents — like college students — are expected to be eligible for the payments, which is different from the original bill, according to CNN.
Why it changed
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Biden worked to preserve the $75,000 limit, according to The New York Times.
- “He is certainly familiar with the journey that it takes from a proposal to a bill being signed,” Psaki said. “He has also been open from the beginning for that being more targeted.”
Flashback
In December 2020, the Trump administration got Congress to approve a $600 stimulus check, as the Deseret News reported. For those stimulus checks, taxpayers who earned up to $75,000 in 2019 received a $600 stimulus payment. Couples who earned up to $150,000 received a $1,200 check.
What’s next
Senate Democratic leaders will now look to finalize the text this week before putting up for a vote, according to CNN.