Democratic senators have proposed giving adults $2,000 a month until the end of the pandemic.
Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kamala Harris of California, and Ed Markey of Massachusetts will introduce Friday the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, a significant expansion on the one-time $1,200 relief checks sent to people because of the $2.3 trillion March CARES Act.
The bill is not expected to pass the GOP-led Senate but illustrates the scale of the economic response to the crisis desired by some Democrats.
The bill would send $2,000 in relief aid every month to people who make less than $120,000. It would also provide $2,000 for each child, up to three, every month. This means a family of five, with three children, could receive up to $10,000 every month from the federal government.
Harris said the $1,200 relief aid from the March legislation was helpful but not “nearly enough to meet the needs of this historic crisis.”
“As a result of this horrific pandemic, tens of millions of Americans are living in economic desperation, not knowing where their next meal or paycheck will come from,” Sanders said.
The payments would be available to all residents, whether they have a Social Security number or not, including illegal immigrants who pay taxes but aren’t fully registered within the system. The payments would also be retroactive to March and last until three months after the Health and Human Services Department declares the public health emergency is over.
