Third stimulus check: summary and news on 08 February 2021
US stimulus check updates: Monday 8 February 2021
Headlines
- Biden intent on passing $1,400 stimulus checks as part of his American Rescue Plan (full story)
- House Democrats to unveil legislation on $3,000/$3,600 child tax credit legislation on Monday (full story)
- Senate adopts budget resolution that will allow the $1.9tn stimulus bill to be passed
- Senate votes in favor of non-binding amendment to tighten stimulus check eligibility
- Over 50 House Democrats urge Biden to maintain $75,000/$150,000 income thresholds
- Group of 10 GOP lawmakers last month proposed $600bn covid relief bill with $1,000 stimulus checks
- US covid-19 cases/deaths: >27 million / 463,482 (live updates)
Why is Biden reviving regular national addresses?
White House restores "fireside chat" tradition, with Joe Biden
Biden’s “fireside chat” format kicks off with a call to jobless Michele in California, talk of dignity in work, and of course the American Rescue Plan.
Read the full story:
President Biden to invite Buccaneers, Lakers to White House 'when it's covid safe'
Super Bowl 55 champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be invited to the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki announced Monday.
“Very exciting, the outcome of the Super Bowl, I guess, if you're a fan of the Buccaneers," said Psaki.
"But we will be inviting – I don't have an update if it's happened yet – but I do have an update that we look forward to inviting the Buccaneers, as well as the 2020 NBA champions, the Lakers, to the White House when it is covid safe, but I don't know when that will take place yet.”
If the Lakers accept their invitation, they will be the first NBA team to visit the White House since 2016, when the Golden State Warriors met with President Obama.
A year on lawmakers still fighting for $2,000 recurring stimulus checks
As Congress debates President Joe Biden's request for $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief funding — including a third stimulus check of up to at $1,400 — some Democratic lawmakers are pushing for an even bigger response: $2,000 monthly payments until the pandemic is history.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and more than 50 other House members are urging the Biden administration to back such a policy, according to a signed letter sent to Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Signers of the January 28 letter also include other leading House progressives such as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
"One more check is not enough during this public health and economic crisis," they wrote. "Many families cannot afford to wait for eight months between payments. To truly build back better, families need stability and certainty through ongoing relief — they cannot be at the mercy of congressional gridlock."
AOC & Schumer deliver on covid-19 funeral budget promise
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have delivered on a promise to help families pay for the funerals of loved ones who died of coronavirus.
Schumer tweeted:
"For families, the terrible loss of a loved one to COVID is exacerbated by the costs of funerals and burials many can't afford right now. That's why @AOC and I delivered $2 billion for FEMA to pay funeral and burial costs for families in need—including for countless New Yorkers."
BLM advert calls for end to White Supremacy on eve of Trump impeachment
A new Black Lives Matter ad is calling for an end to White supremacy using footage of the January 6 Capitol riots and historic Ku Klux Klan rallies to pressure lawmakers to impeach and convict former President Donald Trump.
The ad, released exclusively to CNN, comes as the Senate prepares to begin its second impeachment trial of Trump on Tuesday.
Black Lives Matter organizers blamed Trump for inciting the Capitol insurrection and emboldening White supremacists with offensive rhetoric and divisive policies throughout his presidency.
The ad shows harrowing clips of Trump supporters breaking glass windows at the Capitol and standing on the dais in the Senate chamber, and a noose that was erected on a wooden beam in front of the Capitol that day.
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$1,400 Stimulus checks limits could remain the same
Senior House Democrats drop the proposal to target the proposed $1,400 stimulus payments, maintaining payments going to Americans with up to $75,000 in annual income for individual and $150,000 for couples. There had been talk of reducing the payments to Americans earning up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples. However Democrats are accelerating the rate at which the benefit declines for higher- income earners.
The proposal comes after days of internal disagreements among Democrats over how to best structure the next round of direct payments, a key component of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan currently working its way through Congress. The legislation must still be passed by the House and Senate, and it is unclear if more conservative Senate Democrats will object to the proposal.
$3000 third stimulus check per child: when would it be paid?
Direct payments for kids, coming soon?
A proposal by House Democrats to expand and increase the Child Tax Credit, if passed, could see American families receiving at least $250 per child in July.
Full details:
Support for going "big" on stimulus is strong
Americans strongly support President Biden's $1.9 trillion proposal for covid-19 relief package that is being written by congressional lawmakers. According to a Quinnipiac poll nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the stimulus relief bill in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The American public is even more favorable about a new round of stimulus checks with nearly 8 in 10 Americans in favor of $1,400 direct payments.
Will Mardi Gras 2021 be celebrated or cancelled due to covid-19 & why?
Will the show go on?
Due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, New Orleans has announced that traditional Mardi Gras parades will not go ahead in 2021, but all is not lost.
Full details:
Crusading to end child poverty
House Democrats are set to introduce legislation as part of the covid-19 aid package being written over the coming weeks that would send American families $250 to $300 monthly direct payments per child.
The legislation from the Ways and Means committee calls for it to be temporary, lasting 12 months. Rosa DeLauro ahs been fighting to make the measure permanent since 2003.
More details on the proposal can be found here.
Voice behind child tax credit expansion
Since 2003, Rosa DeLauro has been pushing at every opportunity for the extension of the credit, an anti-poverty measure that, if expanded, could effectively cut child poverty in half. Created in 1997, the child tax credit leaves out a third of all children from accessing the maximum benefit.
For years, DeLauro was the lone voice on the topic, before it started getting the support of other Democrats. More recently, pockets of Republican support have emerged.
President Biden included a temporary 12-month increase and expansion to the Child Tax Credit in his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package the American Rescue Plan. DeLauro is set to introduce standalone legislation to make the increase permanent.
$3,000 third stimulus check per child: are children of 17 and 18 included?
Which children will be eligible for $3000 child stimulus benefit?
Questions regarding eligibility are quick to arise as House Democrats propose monthly checks over 12 months to the value of $250/$300 per child.
Full details:
When to file your tax return if you have received a stimulus check?
When you file your 2020 tax return could affect how much stimulus you receive
If you saw your income adversely affected in 2020 by the pandemic you may want to file your tax return early to be sure to get a stimulus payment sooner.
Full details:
$3,000 third stimulus check per child: are children of 17 and 18 included?
$3,000 tax credit: are children over 16 included?
Democrats are to introduce a proposal, which is to be attached to the next stimulus package, providing eligible households with $3,000 for each child.
While much of the early reaction has been positive, a number of questions are being asked regarding qualifying criteria.
Biden calls on Congress to act fast
Just a few hours ago, the President of the United States made it clear that he expects Congress to get his American Rescue Plan quickly.
More details on what can be expected can be found here.
Feeding and housing our people
Rep. Ro Khanna, who serves California's 17th district, is another to call on lawmakers to ensure that needy Americans are swiftly handed the financial support they crave.
The question being asked by many is how, in 21st-century United States, can we have millions of people struggling to put food on the table? How did we allow this to happen?
"If I have to choose between getting help right now to Americans who are hurting so badly and getting bogged down in a lengthy negotiation...
"That's an easy choice. I'm going to help the American people who are hurting now."
49,000 jobs added amid push for more stimulus
As the Biden administration continues its push to get a $1.9tn stimulus package through, one which would send $1,400 cheques to many Americans and provide fresh aid for struggling businesses, the US economy added back 49,000 jobs last month.
The unemployment rate dropped to 6.3%, down significantly from its pandemic high of 14.7% in April. While January’s figure marked a return to growth after job losses in December, the number was weak and big problems remain.
Super Bowl-stimulus check meme world
Anyone who watched the Super Bowl LV halftime show last night will know where this clip came from and The Weeknd's light and mirror maze has been one of the biggest memes of the day.
Here @unclechaps neatly merges two of the major talking points.
Cities call for Biden rescue plan
Over 400 mayors from across the political spectrum have called on Congress to pass Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan as quickly as possible.
The White House stands in Washington, D.C., 08 February 2021. US President Joe Biden's second full week in office ended with a pivotal procedural vote that would allow Democrats to move ahead with his $1.9 trillion stimulus package without any support from Republicans. EFE/EPA/STEFANI REYNOLDS / POOL
Tlaib leads calls for $2,000 a month
Critics of the current proposals for stimulus check relief for tens of millions of Americans have stated that however much the amount and no matter when it is forthcoming, for many recipients it will be just a drop in the ocean after months of economic turmoil and job losses caused by the pandemic.
Wall Street at all-time highs on stimulus bets
Wall Street's main indexes hit record highs on Monday, as investors made risky bets on hopes that a fiscal relief package would lead to a speedy economic recovery.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 43 points, or 0.14%, at the open to 31,191.2. The S&P 500 rose 5.8 points, or 0.15%, at the open to 3,892.59, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 80.8 points, or 0.58%, to 13,937.06 at the opening bell.
Expanded child tax credit "the least we can do" - Jeffries
Democratic congressman Hakeem Jeffries says approving an expanded child tax credit is "the least" Congress can do in a bid to combat child poverty in the US.
House Democrats are on Monday due to unveil a bill seeking to give qualifying households up to $3,600 per child over a 12-month period, as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9tn coronavirus relief plan.
"This is part of the continuing effort to be big and bold in our response," Jeffries told CNN. "Joe Biden has said […] we need to build back better. That means we can’t go back to the normal that existed prior to the pandemic, because normal was problematic for so many low-income children and working families, middle-class folks and those who aspire to be part of the middle class.
"So I wholeheartedly support this effort in terms of the child tax credit. It will, by the account of many economists, be the most important thing we can do to eliminate, or alleviate substantially, child poverty in America. This is the wealthiest country in the world. The least we can do is try to take this meaningful step."
$3,000/$3,600 stimulus payment: who would get child tax credit?
$3,000/$3,600 expanded child tax credit: who would get it?
On Monday, House Democrats are to unveil legislation that would give qualifying US families monthly checks of up to $250/$300 per child.
Full details:
Will there be a fourth stimulus check after the third one?
Will there be a fourth stimulus check after the third one?
With the budget resolution now passed in the House and the Senate, a third stimulus check is edging closer. What’s the outlook for a fourth?
Full details:
"Absurd" to reduce stimulus-check income threshold to $50,000 - Sanders
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) says it would be “absurd” to distribute the fill third stimulus check only to individuals earning up to $50,000, rather than maintaining the $75,000 income threshold applied to the first two rounds of direct payments.
Sanders told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday that, rather than lowering the initial earnings threshold, steps should be taken to ensure the phase-out limit over $75,000 is not too high.
“I think what we have done in the past and what we have promised the American people [is] we’ve said two things in the last month,” he explained. “We said: We’re going to get you $2,000 - that’s $600 plus $1,400 - and what we’re going to do is say that everybody, a single person, individual [on] $75,000 or lower and a couple on $150,000 or lower will be eligible for that full $2,000: $600 plus $1,400.
“When people said we don’t want rich people to get that benefit, I understand that. I agree. And what we need to do is have a strong cliff so it doesn’t kind of spill over to people making $300,000. And that’s what I support and that’s what I think most people understand.
“But to say [to] a worker in Vermont or California or any place else that if you’re making $52,000 a year you are too rich to get this help, the full benefit, I think that’s absurd.
“It’s also, from a political point of view, a little bit absurd that you would have under Trump these folks getting the benefit but under Biden, who was fighting hard for the working class of this country, they would not get that full benefit.”
$3,000/$3,600 child tax credit: who has supported this policy?
Democrats set to unveil Child Tax Credit on Monday
House Democratic leaders will on Monday unveil legislation for a Child Tax Credit that is a major part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan.
The credit would provide $3,600 per child under the age of six and $3,000 per child aged between six and 17 for a single year.
The full amount would be available to single parents earning up to $75,000 a year and couples on under $150,000,with the payments phasing out after those income limits.
Here's more on the plan:
Yellen: Third stimulus check threshold should be at least $60,000
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Americans earning $60,000 should be eligible to receive the $1,400 stimulus check in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package.
On Friday morning, the Democrat-led Senate backed Biden's American Rescue Plan with Vice-President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote on a budget resolution, paving the way for the president to deliver his relief package quickly without GOP support. But the White House says that the income threshold for the direct payments is still up for negotiation.
Income eligibility was initially set at $75,000, in line with the first two rounds of checks. But Republicans want to lower the threshold, and moderate Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia has called for the payments to phase out from $50,000.
Yellen told CNN on Sunday that the income limit needs to be higher than that. "If you think about an elementary school teacher or a policeman making $60,000 a year and faced with children who are out of school and people who may have had to withdraw from the labor force in order to take care of them and many extra burdens, [Biden] thinks, and I would certainly agree, that it's appropriate for people there to get support," she said.
(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo)
Third stimulus check: what happens now Senate have approved budget resolution?
US stimulus check: live updates
Welcome to our daily live blog bringing you updates on the progress being made in attempts to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9tn coronavirus relief package, which includes provision for a stimulus check of up to $1,400.
Here's our latest report on where we're at with a third direct payment: