- Democrats on Monday planned to introduce a major new stimulus update that would add a $3,000-per-child benefit to the $1.9 trillion economic relief bill proposed by President Biden.
- The Democrats’ new stimulus benefit would also actually include a $3,600-per-child payment for children below age 6, while the $3,000 would be for children between 6 and 17.
- This new benefit would strengthen the appeal of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, which Democrats hope to pass in the coming weeks.
At this point, the number everyone associates with the Biden stimulus plan is $1,400. That, of course, is the size of the new checks promised by the $1.9 trillion legislation which would comprise the third wave of direct payments to Americans since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year.
However, a stimulus update will give Americans and particularly families a new figure to consider — $3,000. That’s because Democrats as of Monday morning were planning to introduce a $3,000-per-child benefit to the Biden stimulus plan that congressional Democrats want to finalize in the coming weeks. This new benefit would be a boon for families, adding $3,000 for each child between the ages of 6 and 17 to complement the $1,400 stimulus checks. Moreover, this new benefit would provide $3,600 for every child under the age of 6.
Biden in recent days has warned against the danger, as he sees it, of not producing a stimulus bill that’s big enough — that it would be a mistake, in other words, to do too little right now, which is why he’s pushing for ambitious legislation that’s expansive in scope. This new per-child benefit certainly underscores how that’s the case:
As first reported by The Washington Post, families would be sent either $3,600 or $3,000 per year for each child, depending on the ages as noted above. The plan calls for sending out those payments in the form of monthly distributions starting as soon as July, if possible, and they would phase out for single parents earning more than $75,000 and couples who make more than $150,000.
Scoop: Senior Dems putting final touches on 22-page bill — obtained by WaPo — sending families $:
— $3,600/yr per kid 0-6
— $3K/yr per kid 6-17Phaseouts: $75K singles, $150K couples
$ to start hitting bank accounts in July; aim is to send monthlyhttps://t.co/2amHkXp6Gs
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) February 7, 2021
CNN also obtained a copy of the 22-page enhanced Child Tax Credit bill. A statement from House Democrat Richard Neal, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, noted that “The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it’s devastating. We are making the Child Tax Credit more generous, more accessible, and by paying it out monthly, this money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone’s head or food on their table.”
As stated above, another reason why this might mark a significant step forward in the path toward approval of President Biden’s stimulus plan is that it would mean Democrats want to send families a small, recurring stimulus benefit paid out monthly. Rather than waiting on the $3,000 or $3,600 per child payments once during a year, they would be split up into monthly disbursements to make paying families’ obligations a little easier. And, of course, this would be on top of the one-time $1,400 stimulus checks themselves.
