Stimulus Check 2: What needs to happen for it to pass?

Stimulus Check 2: What needs to happen for it to pass?

[But it is not only Senate Republicans who must approve the final bill.

Before Americans receive their stimulus check2, Senate Republicans must reach a consensus with House Democrats, and that consensus must be one that President Trump is willing to sign.

Fox2Now reports that all parties have agreed to send another $1,200 stimulus check to Americans who qualified for benefits under the Cares Act earlier this year.

Single taxpayers earning less than $75,000 a year and married taxpayers earning less than $150,000 a year will receive the full amount, while taxpayers earning up to $99,000 and $198,000 respectively will receive benefits on a pro-rated basis.

This is a compromise between the "Heroes Act" passed by House Democrats in May (which would expand direct payments to workers with dependent children and taxpayer identification numbers) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Kentucky) earlier proposal to limit relief to workers earning less than $40,000 per year.

If the benefit formula in the final bill mirrors the Careers Act, this stimulus check calculator will show eligibility. Of course, everything received in the first check would be received in stimulus check 2.

Despite the agreement on Stimulus Check 2, there are other difficulties that the parties have yet to agree on.

At issue is the $600 per week federal unemployment benefit that expires on July 31 (next Friday). Some Republicans want to lower this to $400 or even $200 per week.

They argue that the current benefits, which are added to state unemployment checks, prevent people from working. Democrats want to maintain the current level.

There is also concern from some Senate Republicans that overall spending may be excessive, and hesitation from House Democrats that it is not enough to safely reopen schools and help the unemployed.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday proposed breaking the proposal into smaller pieces in favor of continuing federal unemployment benefits, The Washington Post reported, but lawmakers from both parties and both houses quickly rejected the proposal.

Also up for discussion were seemingly unrelated provisions, such as White House language on the location of the FBI's Washington, D.C. headquarters and a proposal by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) on manufacturing and China.

One of the earlier pending provisions, the payroll tax cut, was pushed by President Trump but not supported by many senators.

Senate Republicans are reportedly scheduled to unveil their proposal on Monday (July 27) and are on a tight schedule to reach agreement with House Democrats and the White House. The Senate is scheduled to begin its next recess on August 10, and will not return to work until early September.

If lawmakers do not present a bill for President Trump to sign within the next few weeks, Americans may have to wait until the fall for the stimulus package2 and the continuation of federal unemployment benefits.

The Washington Post reported late Friday that McConnell said at a local event that he hoped all parties could "come together on some kind of package that we can agree on in the next few weeks."

If you have not yet received your first bailout payment and believe you are eligible, check your status on the IRS Get My Payment app or call a representative at the IRS stimulus check phone number.

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