Kamala Harris made a “final pitch” for $2,000 a month second stimulus checks.
“Together, with Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey, I’m proposing that we have not just that one-time check of $1,200,” Harris said. “Through the course of this pandemic and crisis, we need to give people $2,000 a month as recurrent payments—people below a certain income level—to help them and sustain them through these months of crisis so at the end of it, they can get back up on their feet instead of falling deep deep deep into the crevices of this crisis. And, it does not make any sense, to your point, when we have Republicans in Congress who are standing in the way of supporting working people who have recently lost their jobs—[and] have every intention of working—when we can get through this crisis and [they] just need help from their government.”
Harris, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act:
-It Gives up to $2,000 a month to anyone earning up to $120,000 per year.
-The monthly payment begins to phase out starting at $100,000 per year.
-Married couples who file jointly would receive up to $4,000.
-You can receive $2,000 for each dependent (maximum three dependents).
-The legislation would be retroactive to March 2020.
-Every U.S. resident can receive payment, regardless if they file taxes or have a Social Security number.
-The payments would last until three months after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new stimulus package may be introduced this week and is expected to include second stimulus checks or some form of direct payment. The amount of second stimulus checks and eligibility criteria are still unclear. It’s possible that the second stimulus check is less than $1,200, which was the maximum amount of the first stimulus check.
Democrats will oppose limiting second stimulus checks, under the Cares Act, the first stimulus checks were provided to Americans who earned up to $99,000 of adjusted gross income.
Photos by Getty Images