President Joe Biden is doubling the value of the next coronavirus stimulus check, even as government officials try to figure out exactly who will get paid.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Biden said his government remains committed to $ 1,400 stimulus checks as part of its $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. That amount, when combined with the $ 600 payments approved in December, would bring the total recent relief to $ 2,000, an amount supported by many in Congress.
“I’m not reducing the size of checks,” said Biden. “They will cost $ 1,400 – period. This is what was promised to the American people. “
What is not yet clear is who will be eligible to receive a stimulus payment. The president’s initial proposal ensured that single people earned up to $ 75,000 and couples who earned up to $ 150,000 were entitled to full payment. Biden indicated that he is open to negotiating eligibility requirements, however, something echoed by the new Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Yellen indicated that he believed that Americans earning $ 60,000 a year should be eligible for the full amount of direct payments. That amount is about $ 10,000 more than the figure being discussed by Republicans and conservative Democrats who are pushing for a “targeted” round of payments with an income limited to $ 50,000.
“If you think of an elementary school teacher or a police officer who earns $ 60,000 a year and comes across children who are out of school and people who may have been taken out of the workforce to take care of them and many extra charges, the president thinks, and I would certainly agree, that it is appropriate for people there to get support, ”said Yellen.
“President Biden is certainly willing to work with members of Congress to define what is fair and he would not want a family earning more than $ 300,000 to receive these payments,” she added.
While the details of the payment continue to be refined, the Democratic-controlled Congress is moving forward with the approval of Biden’s general package.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week that she wants the entire stimulus package, including direct payments, to be approved by the end of February.