Why You Won’t Be Receiving That $2000 Check
President Joe Biden, Sen. John Ossoff (D-GA), and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) promised their constituents $2000 of direct payments during their campaigns, but can they and the DNC deliver?
#WheresMy2K trended on Twitter yesterday. People were demanding a direct payment of $2000 in the next stimulus package which was promised. That probably won’t be happening any time soon.
Last year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Citizens received $1,200 in direct payments due to job loss from non-essential businesses being shut down, statewide lockdowns, and traveling restrictions. Towards the end of the year, after much debate about a second stimulus check, the Senate agreed on $600. Many Americans felt like it wasn’t enough including former President Donald Trump.
$1,400 vs $2,000
In a hypothetical situation, the first battle for $2000 would assuredly advance from the House, but the war would happen on the Senate floor which would have to be won on an evenly split party line which assumes all 48 Democrats and 2 Independents, Sen. Angus S. King Jr. (I-ME) and Bernard Sanders (I-VT) would vote in favor for it. Should all Republicans vote against it — it would be a 50–50 split.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s vote would be the deciding vote brining the tally to 51–50 through a process known as reconciliation.
However, President Biden floated $1,400 which would count towards the previous $600 for a combined total of $2,000. Democrats are calling for it to be the full $2,000 which was promised by Biden, Warnock and Ossoff; Progressives want to take it a step further and called for reoccurring checks. Last year, 156 top economists also called for the reoccurring checks as well until the pandemic is over.
Reoccurring checks won’t happen
Economic experts at this time, however, don’t feel reoccurring checks are necessary and have pointed to other targeted measures such as people organizing their finances, extending unemployment benefits and other programs e.g. eviction bans, and streamlining the production and distribution of vaccines to get a majority of Americans vaccinated by the summer so they economy can be reopened.
$1,400 will be the path of least resistance
Bipartisan support is impossible at this point for $2,000, and President Biden has much to deal with including Trump’s impeachment trial.
It could be weeks before Americans see any money as the IRS is already backed up from the prior tax season and this upcoming one.
$1,400 checks has the bipartisan support in the Senate. It could be delivered within weeks.
The government will be facing tough choices as more and more Americans look for relief which might be arriving too little, too late. COVID-19 is coming up on 500,000 deaths and time is running out for Congress.
[Update January 31 12:43 p.m]
Congress could give $1,000 for American’s making less than $50,000 a year in the third stimulus check.
