On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the stimulus package from Joe Biden, which includes a third $1,400 stimulus check for qualified Americans, would be approved by Congress "before the end of February."
Pelosi expressed hope that stimulus check will be passed by end of February
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 05: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (C) talks to reporters outside the West Wing after she and House Democratic leaders, Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) (L) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), met with U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss coronavirus relief legislation at the White House February 5, 2021 in Washington, DC. In an effort to generate bipartisan support for his legislation, Biden met earlier in the week with Republican and Democratic senators to discuss his administration’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan.
In late December, former President Donald Trump signed into law a $900 billion relief package that provided federal unemployment insurance that would expire on March 14. Lawmakers have set the date as an unofficial deadline for more COVID-19 assistance to be approved.
Early Friday morning, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting a tie-breaking vote on a funding bill, the Senate endorsed Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. It would encourage Democrats without Republican support to pass the bill.
In another vote to deliver the bill, the House will now need to approve the amendments, and Pelosi expressed hope that Congress will pass the law before March 14, Newsweek reported.
"Absolutely. Without any question. Before then," Pelosi said on Friday at a press conference.
Read also: Biden Says Minimum Wage Increase Won't Likely to Include in COVID-19 Relief Package
Pelosi confirmed that on Monday, Democrats would "resume to work on the specifics of the bill" "Hopefully in two weeks time we'll send something over to the Senate and this will be done long before the expiration of initiatives," she added, noting that Congress will "finish their work before the end of February."
Democrats have prioritized bringing more relief to Americans, but Trump's impeachment trial, expected to begin in the second week of February, could prolong the process. After Senate Republicans pushed to reduce the volume through talks, Biden promised that the bundle would contain $1,400 individual payments.
Read also: Third Stimulus Check: When and How Much You Could Get If You Qualify
More Americans could get a $1,400 stimulus check
According to The Sun, Americans earning more than $50,000 will be eligible to receive the $1,400 stimulus checks proposed under the yet-to-be-defined salary cutoff. The White House said it was open to talks over who should be entitled to obtain payments for the coronavirus relief package but failed to convey the wage limit.
It is uncertain exactly who will be entitled to receive a stimulus payment. The president's original plan ensured that single individuals earning up to $75,000 and married couples earning up to $150,000 were qualified for maximum payments. Speaking at a press conference Friday, Biden said his administration remained committed to $1,400 stimulus checks as part of the COVID-19 relief program.
That money will raise the sum of recent relief to $2,000, an amount supported by many in Congress when combined with the $600 payments accepted in December. The nation will return to full jobs next year, Yellen said, if Congress passes the $1.9 trillion proposal. Otherwise, unemployment will continue for years, she said.
Republicans on Capitol Hill opposed the COVID-19 relief proposal of the president, worrying that after the $4 trillion in assistance Congress approved last year, it would unnecessarily raise the national debt, Reuters reported.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker, speaking on ABC News "This Week" program, said he felt his party would accept anything in the $600 billion to $700 billion range. Biden has said he wants to win bipartisan approval for his initiative, but in terms of what needs to be achieved, Republicans are falling well short of the target. He said Democrats would decide alone if needed.
Read also: IRS Could Start Sending Out the Third Stimulus Checks as Early as First Week of March
