After much discussion about a second stimulus plan, Senate Republicans recently unveiled their new proposal amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — the HEALS Act. Their plan calls for a second round of $1,200 economic impact payments to be given out to eligible Americans. But, if President Donald Trump has his way, that amount will be far greater.
On Wednesday, Trump went on a visit to West Texas to attend a fundraiser and to visit an oil rig. During his trip, he spoke with news station KMID to discuss a variety of topics, including the second stimulus plan and coronavirus vaccine timetables. The president was asked whether he thought that a $1,200 payment would be enough, to which he replied, “We’re going to see it may go higher than that, actually.” He went on to share precisely why he wants to send out larger payments to eligible Americans. “I’d like to see it be very high because I love the people, I want the people to get it, you know, the economy is going to come back,” Trump continued. “We saved millions of lives but now we’re bringing (the economy) back … we gotta take care of the people in the meantime.”
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These comments align with what he had to say about a second stimulus plan in early July. At the time, the president sat down for an interview with Fox News where the conversation naturally turned to a possible second stimulus package for the country. During the interview, Trump said that he supports the idea of having “larger” payments than the CARES Act’s $1,200 in aid. “I support actually larger numbers than the Democrats, but it’s got to be done properly,” he said. “I want the money getting to people to be larger so they can spend it. I want the money to get there quickly and in a non-complicated fashion.”
Since there is still no official, second stimulus plan in place just yet, it is possible that Americans could receive more than $1,200 in economic impact payments. However, under the GOP’s recently-proposed HEALS Act, eligible Americans would receive another $1,200 payment just as they did under the CARES Act. The HEALS Act also calls for funding for coronavirus testing and contact tracing, funding for schools, and aid for small businesses. Although, the proposal has already been met with criticism, with those on both sides of the aisle admonishing the plan for its cuts to enhanced unemployment benefits.
