US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks to the press before signing the additional 484 billion dollar relief package amid the coronavirus pandemic at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2020.
Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images
Democrats in the House of Representatives unveiled their proposal for a new stimulus package that calls for a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks.
The legislation, dubbed the Heroes Act, includes another round of “more substantial economic impact payments.” That second round of checks would be $1,200 per family member and up to $6,000 per household.
The proposal comes as the U.S. government is still in the process of sending out its first round of stimulus payments authorized by Congress through the Cares Act. Those payments are for up to $1,200 per individual or $2,400 for married couples, plus $500 for children under 17. That first round of payments targeted low- to middle-income Americans.
The second round of payments would be structured similarly to those first checks, with $1,200 per individual and $2,400 for couples. But dependent pay would be increased to $1,200 per eligible child with a maximum of three children.
The IRS said the government has made 130 million payments so far, for a total of more than $200 billion. More than 150 million total payments to taxpayers are expected in that first round of checks.
The House Democrats bill is less generous than some other competing proposals. Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Ed Markey, D-Mass., recently introduced a bill that would give Americans $2,000 per month during the coronavirus pandemic.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.