House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Sunday (Feb. 7) that they are eyeing tightening the threshold for the next round of bailout checks.
In an interview with The Hill, Hoyer said Congress will likely further adjust the eligibility of Americans to receive bailout checks in a bipartisan manner.
“I think that’s the question that most people are asking, both in the Senate and in the House. And frankly, I think it’s the right thing to do.” He said, “I don’t want to guess at that number (annual income) or (give) a number right now, but I think it’s likely that (Congress) will consider an adjustment from the (annual income) number that was passed last December.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat who proposed the tightened eligibility amendment, said he wants to change the way checks are issued.
Under Manchin’s proposal, individuals could receive a bailout check if they earn up to $50,000 a year and couples earn up to $100,000 a year. If annual income reaches that threshold, the bailout benefit would gradually decrease with higher annual salaries. If an individual earns $75,000 per year or a couple earns $150,000 per year, they will not be able to receive a check.
Referring to the eligibility changes, Democratic Sen. John Tester (D-Mass.) told reporters, “It depends on who you want to talk to. But I think the point of the amendment is it’s negotiable, so we can try to get some people in (to negotiate).”
In response to a new round of bailout checks that would likely tighten eligibility, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-described democratic socialist, tweeted that the move to tighten eligibility was a fool’s errand.
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