Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) introduced a bill Tuesday that would provide additional payments to Americans who are struggling during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
This week an estimated 80 million Americans started to receive $1,200 stimulus checks from the federal government to help amid these difficult times.
Although Ryan and Khanna say they believe this one-time payment is helpful, they add it does not go far enough. In their Emergency Money for the People Act (EMPA), Americans over the age of 16 would receive a $2,000 monthly payment “until employment returns to pre-COVID-19 levels,” according to Ryan’s press release.
“The economic impact of this virus is unprecedented for our country. As millions of Americans file for unemployment week over week, we have to work quickly to patch the dam – and that means putting cash in the hands of hard-working families,” Ryan said.
“Many Ohioans are just receiving – or about to receive – the first cash payment we passed in the CARES Act,” he added. Now it’s time for Congress to get to work on the next step to provide relief for those who have been hardest hit in this pandemic.”
EMPA, if passed, would have qualified Americans who make less than $130,000 annually get $2,000 per month. Married couples who make less than $260,000 annually would receive $4,000 a month. Families with children that qualify would receive another $500 per child. Families would get funds for up to three children, the press release said.
Under this proposal, these monthly cash payments would happen for six months and “continue until the employment to population ratio for people ages 16 and older is above 60%.”
Currently, the CARES Act allows Americans whose gross annual income is “up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns” to receive the stimulus checks.
“A one-time, twelve hundred dollar check isn’t going to cut it. Americans need sustained cash infusions for the duration of this crisis in order to come out on the other side alive, healthy, and ready to get back to work,” Khanna said.”
“Members on both sides of the aisle are finally coming together around the idea of sending money out to people,” he concluded. Rep. Ryan and I are urging leadership to include this bill in the fourth COVID relief package to truly support the American working class.”
Over the last four weeks, over 22 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits due to COVID-19.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Tim Ryan” by Tim Ryan.
