WASHINGTON – Stimulus payments are likely to be more targeted than President Joe Biden wanted in the next federal virus aid package, after the Senate almost unanimously approved an amendment advocated by Maine senators to ensure that those who earn more don’t receive checks. .
The senators met on Thursday afternoon to vote on more than 100 amendments as part of a “vote-a-rama”, a series of symbolic votes that can last until Friday. It is a key feature of the budget reconciliation procedure that would allow Democrats to pass a relief bill without Republican support. Democrats came together around a $ 1.9 trillion proposal from President Joe Biden, which includes a number of his priorities, including $ 1,400 stimulus checks.
The amendment, led by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and supported by a bipartisan group including Angus King, I-Maine, would make “high-income taxpayers” ineligible to receive stimulus checks. But, ultimately, it is symbolic and non-binding and does not specify at what level a person qualifies as a higher income.
Biden told House Democrats on Wednesday that he sees the proposed $ 1,400 package in direct payments to individuals as a fundamental promise to voters. It represents a bet by the White House that voters will suspend party beliefs to assess and support the massive plan.
The president suggested that he can be flexible about the $ 1.9 trillion maximum amount for the plan and about ways to define who receives direct payments more strictly. But the amount of $ 1,400 – in addition to the $ 600 in payments approved in December – appears to be non-negotiable.
“I am not going to start my government by breaking a promise to the American people,” he said.
In Biden’s initial proposal, checks for $ 1,400 would start to decrease above $ 75,000 for individuals and $ 150,000 for couples. Because of the size of the checks, families with multiple children could still receive some payment, even if they earned more than $ 200,000.
A group of Republicans led by Collins offered an alternative to payments limited to $ 1,000 and restricted to people earning up to $ 50,000 a year as a single filer and $ 100,000 filing together. Dependents would receive $ 500, as opposed to the total $ 1,400 of Biden’s plan.
On Capitol Hill, Democrats moved on Thursday with the budget process that will pave the way for aid approval. The senators prepared for an all-night session to consider amendments that could define the outline of the eventual bill.
The Biden package comes after $ 4 trillion in rescue spending that cushioned the pandemic’s financial blow but did little to stop the disease. It includes divisive provisions, such as a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour and $ 350 billion in aid to state and local governments. The counter offer led by Collins was a $ 618 billion package, a third of what Biden is offering.
Biden took over the presidency with Americans generally hopeful about his ability to fight the pandemic and guide the economy. About three-quarters said they had at least some confidence in their ability to cope with coronavirus, while about two-thirds had at least some confidence in their economic leadership, according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
Most Americans still see the need for encouragement. A survey released on Wednesday by Quinnipiac University found that 68% of American adults support Biden’s stimulus package and 24% oppose it. But Republicans are divided on the measure, with 47% against and 37% in favor. Almost all Democrats supported the plan.
But even Republican lawmakers who support some kind of aid are telling their voters that Biden’s plan is very expensive – and it is possible that people will be rejected if they think stimulus dollars are being wasted.
The group of Republican senators behind the counterproposal told Biden in a letter on Thursday that he had significant questions about the “size and scope” of his plan, given how much Congress has already allocated and the more than $ 60 billion in emergency assistance, said states and districts have yet to spend on public schools.
Republicans are betting that Biden will pay a price politically if he doesn’t adopt a bipartisan stance. In contrast, Democrats expect Republicans to pay a price if voters don’t see them getting involved in the crisis.
The United States lost about 10 million jobs due to the pandemic, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that, without additional help, they will not return fully by 2024. The Census Bureau estimates that one in eight families with children does not have enough food.
Josh Boak and Lisa Mascaro story. BDN writer Jessica Piper contributed to this report.