A second round of stimulus checks may be on the way. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell shared details about another possible coronavirus relief bill.
McConnell’s comments on stimulus checks came during a series of events in Louisville, on the first day of a two-week congressional recess. The senator explained that the number of eligible Americans may be drastically lower than the first round of payments. “I think the people who have been hit the hardest are people who make about $40,000 a year or less,” he said.
The first round of stimulus checks capped income eligibility at $99,000 for singles and $198,000 for joint filers. According to Forbes, 40% of those earning under $40,000 annually lost their jobs in March.
Jeff Stein of The Washington Post claims that there is validity to McConnell’s income cap comments. He took to Twitter on Monday to write about the next round of stimulus checks. “Multiple sources say McConnell didn’t just throw out $40,000 as a cut-off haphazardly — consensus within GOP is moving that direction, which would sharply limit eligibility,” Stein wrote.
Stimulus Checks Receiving Support Across the Aisle
McConnell’s $40,000 figure stays in line with his previous comments about making the next round of stimulus more targeted. The goal has received support on both sides of the political aisle.
Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) spoke late last month about the second round of payments. “I think the next round we’ve got to be more targeted to those who are really in need,” Cardin said. “So I hope we can target this a little bit better to those who have been hit hard because of COVID-19.”
[H/T Forbes]
