May 18, 2020
Dems Propose Bill to Give Americans Over Age 16 $2,000 Each Month For Up to a Year
A bill introduced to Congress and drafted by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) would give Americans over the age of 16 coronavirus stimulus payments of up to $2,000 each month for at least six months.
According to Yahoo Finance, the bill, known as the Emergency Money for the People Act, would guarantee qualifying Americans over 16 years old, $2000 a month for at least six months. The bill would also guarantee another six months of payments if the employment-to-population ratio for people 16 and older stays below the pre-coronavirus level of 60%. The bill would also provide an extra $500 per month for every child in a household up to three children.
Additionally, the payments would not count as income, so they would not affect the eligibility for any income-based federal or state government assistance programs.
The qualifications to receive money under the bill are much broader than the current CARES Act qualifications. To receive payments under the Emergency Money for the People Act, one would have to be a citizen or resident of the U.S. and at least 16 years old as of Jan. 1, 2020.
The citizenship or residency requirement would be satisfied if a person is physically present in the U.S. continuously since Jan. 27, 2020, and stays in the U.S. throughout the payment period.
The bill would also provide payments to college students and adults with disabilities even if they are claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. The bill will also allow people to get paid through direct deposit, check, pre-paid debit card, or even mobile money platforms such as Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal.
The coronavirus has decimated the U.S. job market as more than 30 million Americans are now unemployed.
The bill still has a long way to go as Republicans have been wary of another coronavirus stimulus payment, instead opting to reopen states and the economy. The HEROES Act, which passed the House last week has been classified as dead on arrival by Republicans. This bill is likely to be viewed the same.