Washington – President Biden and moderate Senate Democrats have reached an agreement to limit eligibility for direct stimulus controls to Americans, reducing the level of income for those who could benefit from the payments, according to a Democratic source.
The Senate is ready to deal The $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill from Mr. Biden already started Wednesday. Since the bill is not expected to get any Republican votes, all Democrats will have to support the bill for it to pass, allowing moderate Democrats to make it clear to demand the president and Senate leadership.
Under the agreement, direct payments of $ 1,400 to taxpayers will begin to be phased out to $ 75,000 for individuals, with no one making more than $ 80,000 eligible for payments. For couples who file together, the phasing out will begin for those who earn $ 150,000 and end up at $ 160,000.
The change reduces the number of Americans who would have been eligible for payments according to the version of the bill passed by the House on Saturday. The House bill also phased out payments for people earning more than $ 75,000 and couples earning more than $ 150,000, but payments were limited to income of $ 100,000 and $ 200,000, respectively.
The proposal to reduce the upper limits of stimulus controls would reduce the possibility of being eligible to about 17 million people, according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy. His analysis found that 297 million adults and children would benefit from the bill passed in the House, but only 280 million people in the Senate version of the bill. With both bills, everyone in the bottom 60% of Americans would benefit.
During the White House press conference on Wednesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said the president was pleased with the progress of the U.S. bailout plan, saying President Biden has been adamant that checks are from $ 1,400, but that has been open from the beginning those who will have to be more objective with the cuts.
“He is comfortable with the position of the negotiations,” Psaki said. “Of course, there will be discussions going on.”
The Senate bill also includes $ 400 a week in supplemental unemployment insurance benefits, which will expire on March 14th. These benefits would last until mid-August. Senator Joe Manchin, who has quickly become one of the most influential lawmakers in the Senate, had suggested cutting profits to $ 300 a week.
The deal comes after Biden on Tuesday spoke with Senate Democrats and stressed the urgency of passing the COVID relief package. Biden also met Monday with moderate Senate Democrats in the White House to discuss the legislation. Democrat Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who attended Monday’s meeting, told reporters the discussion was about “targeting the dollars” of the relief package, but not reducing it.
Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan told reporters that the new phasing out of stimulus controls is a “reasonable compromise.”
“I know in our caucus, that there has been a huge goodwill, working all these things right and just differences of opinion,” Stabenow added. “I think we’re really in a good place and frankly, and the most important thing is to get it.”
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet agreed that he believed the deal was a “proper way to bring it to a successful conclusion.” But Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell expressed skepticism and said she believed “the package as originally drafted is good to go.”
House Democrats appeared divided on the deal. Congressman Mark Pocan, the former president of the Progressive Caucus, told reporters that the phasing out was a “silly and stupid” move aimed at appeasing “one or two people who can stand things.” But House Means and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal said he was “open to changes in the phasing-out.”
“If you had to select or highlight an element that more than anything in the CARES law saved the U.S. economy, it was unemployment insurance. So the fact that they didn’t touch unemployment insurance with a supplement, I think it’s a good thing, ”Neal said in reference to the coronavirus relief bill passed last spring.
Democrats are passing the bill through budget conciliation, a process that allows for limited time for debate and for legislation to be passed by a simple majority. There will be 20 hours of debate on the package in the Senate, followed by a “vote-to-branch” in which senators will vote on a series of proposed amendments quickly. The amendments require the support of a simple majority in order to be able to join the bill.
Most of the amendments are expected to be offered by Republicans trying to make the process politically painful for Democrats, but Sen. Bernie Sanders has said he will table an amendment to increase the minimum wage at $ 15 per hour.
While the bill is expected to move largely along the party line, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Wednesday told reporters she had not yet made a decision on how she would vote. While he said he “can’t stand” the bill not being entirely focused on the coronavirus, he said “Lisa is listening” because he would be listening to what the final proposal would be.
Stimulus control is one of the most popular provisions in the bill, known as the American Rescue Plan. According to a poll released Wednesday by the University of Monmouth, 68% say checks should remain at $ 1,400, even if that means the bill passes only with the support of a single party. It is also popular to increase additional unemployment benefits from $ 300 to $ 400 per week, with the support of 67% of Americans.