- A House committee approved Biden’s $ 1,400 stimulus checks proposal with a party vote.
- Different committees are working on various elements of Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion aid package.
- The package may receive full voting in the House during the week of February 22.
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The House Forms and Resources Committee approved some measures in President Joe Biden’s stimulus package on Thursday, including the controversial direct payments of $ 1,400 to Americans.
In total, the committee approved $ 593.5 billion in benefits, with the split vote between the parties, Bloomberg reported.
The bailout package proposed by Biden totals $ 1.9 trillion and includes, in addition to direct payments, $ 400 a week in federal unemployment benefits, increased child tax credit and aid to local and state governments.
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“The $ 600 discounts that Congress delivered in December were not enough,” Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene said during committee discussions on Thursday, according to Bloomberg. “This is a critical relief to help families overcome this crisis.”
The latest round of stimulus check proposals has been a controversial part of Biden’s package, with Republicans and some Democrats expressing opposition to payments. According to the Biden plan, checks for $ 1,400 would be issued to individuals earning $ 75,000 or less and couples earning $ 150,000 or less.
However, Democrats launched a plan to issue payments to individuals earning $ 50,000 or less, but this met with opposition from progressives, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
On Tuesday, Biden indicated that he supports maintaining the income cap for payments at $ 75,000 for individuals.
House Democrats introduced legislation on Monday according to Biden’s initial plans, the Insider reported earlier. However, the legislation would restrict the value to people with higher incomes, eliminating direct payments to individuals who earn more than $ 100,000 and couples who earn more than $ 200,000.
Different House committees are working on aspects of the stimulus package, so it is possible to make changes to other parts of the plan before being voted on. The chamber is expected to vote the entire package during the week of February 22, according to Bloomberg.
The measures approved by the Chamber’s Methods and Resources Committee on Thursday also included early tax credits for children and tax credits for low-income workers.