ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — President Joe Biden's aggressive COVID-19 relief bill has one last hurdle to cross today before he signs it into law, possibly by the end of this week.
The US House of Representatives will vote this morning on a version of the bill the US Senate passed over the weekend, calling for a $1.9 trillion spending package worth almost half an annual US Federal Government budget.
What You Need To Know
- COVID-19 relief bill has one last hurdle to cross Wednesday
- US House of Representatives will vote on a version of the bill the US Senate passed over the weekend
- See what your direct stimulus payment will be under the proposed plan
The relief bill includes an extension of $300 weekly federal unemployment payment checks, billions of dollars to states for economic recovery, $20 billion dollars to states to help residents with mortgages, utilities and property taxes, and almost $50 billion dollars toward new and improved virus testing sites.
The bill also includes what is known as "helicopter money," or the individual stimulus checks to most Americans who file taxes.
The stimulus package includes individual payments of $1400 to each individual, or $2800 to married couples.
Children also get a $1400 check as long as they are listed as dependents on your taxes.
Anyone individual making less than $75k per year, or married couple making less than $150k per year is eligible for the full amount, with checks scaling back over those amounts.
If you make $80k a year, or as a married couple more than $160k a year, you will not be eligible for a stimulus check.
Democrats say this is an economic recovery bill they want to build on.
They say it is a generational transformation of the economy which will benefit the least well off Americans and alleviate poverty.
"This is the most significant legislation for working people that has been passed in decades," said Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Republicans do not feel the same way about the package.
To date, it has not received a single vote from a Republican in Congress.
Republicans argue most of the money in the stimulus package does nothing to directly help normal working Americans.
To see what your direct stimulus payment will be under the proposed plan, visit https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/09/politics/third-stimulus-check-calculator/index.html