After President Donald Trump signed into law a historic $2 trillion stimulus package, House Democrats are hoping to keep the financial aid rolling out to Americans suffering amid the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced Tuesday, the Emergency Money for the People Act seeks to give Americans 16 and older a $2,000 stimulus check each month for the next six months. It was introduced by Rep. Tim Ryan and Rep. Ro Khanna and has 17 other Democratic co-sponsors, according to Business Insider, including Rep. Barbara Lee, who helps lead the House Steering and Policy Committee.
“The economic impact of this virus is unprecedented for our country. As millions of Americans file for unemployment week over week, we have to work quickly to patch the dam – and that means putting cash in the hands of hard-working families,” Ryan said in a press release. “Many Ohioans are just receiving – or about to receive – the first cash payment we passed in the CARES Act. Now it’s time for Congress to get to work on the next step to provide relief for those who have been hardest hit in this pandemic.”
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Currently, the CARES Act provides one-time cash payouts to qualifying Americans. That includes singles with an adjusted gross income up to $99,000 and couples up to $198,000 with payments being reduced by $5 for each $100 above the $75,000/$150,000 thresholds with restrictions on dependents over the age of 16. Under the Emergency Money for the People Act, all Americans over the age of 16 who make less than $130,000 and married couples making less than $260,000 would receive a stimulus check. It also extends payouts to those who were excluded from the CARES Act, such as college students and adults with disabilities who are still claimed as a dependent.
Singles earning less than $130,000 would receive at least $2,000 per month, with married couples receiving at least $4,000 per month. Qualifying families would receive $500 per child for up to three children. Deliverable via direct deposit, check, or mobile apps such as Venmo, the payments would be guaranteed for at least six months or continue longer until the employment to population ratio for people ages 16 and older is above 60 percent.
“A one-time, twelve hundred dollar check isn’t going to cut it,” Khanna said of the current stimulus plan. “Americans need sustained cash infusions for the duration of this crisis in order to come out on the other side alive, healthy, and ready to get back to work. Members on both sides of the aisle are finally coming together around the idea of sending money out to people. Rep. Ryan and I are urging leadership to include this bill in the fourth COVID relief package to truly support the American working class.”
