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posted by martyb on Thursday March 11 2021, @11:20PM   Printer-friendly
from the a-billion-here-a-billion-there-pretty-soon-you're-talking-about-real-money dept.

Biden signs $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, making $1,400 checks and child tax credit official:

President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which includes a third stimulus check, for up to $1,400, and an expanded child tax credit. The IRS and Treasury will begin to send the new stimulus checks as soon as this weekend, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday at a press briefing.

The bill signing comes just one day after the amended bill passed in the House by a vote of 220-211. The House initially passed the bill on Feb. 26, and the Senate approved it last week, albeit with some changes.

[...] Democrats had been pushing to get the stimulus package signed into law before current unemployment benefits expire March 14. Biden was originally scheduled to sign the bill on Friday, but it got moved forward after Congress sent the final bill to the president more quickly than anticipated, Psaki said on Thursday.

The stimulus package, called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, includes changes made by the Senate last week, such as reducing income limits for the third stimulus payment and lowering proposed weekly unemployment benefits from $400 a week to $300 a week (though they'd extend through Sept. 6 rather than the end of August). The Senate also dropped a federal minimum wage increase from the legislation, but proponents say they'll reintroduce that at a later date.

How to watch President Biden's national address tonight.

House passes $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill, sends it to Biden to sign:

[...] Here are the proposal's major pieces:

  • It extends a $300 per week jobless aid supplement and programs making millions more people eligible for unemployment insurance until Sept. 6. The plan also makes an individual's first $10,200 in jobless benefits tax-free.
  • The bill sends $1,400 direct payments to most Americans and their dependents. The checks start to phase out at $75,000 in income for individuals and are capped at people who make $80,000. The thresholds for joint filers are double those limits. The government will base eligibility on Americans' most recent filed tax return.
  • It expands the child tax credit for one year. It will increase to $3,600 for children under 6 and to $3,000 for kids between 6 and 17.
  • The plan puts about $20 billion into Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing and distribution, along with roughly $50 billion into testing and contact tracing.
  • It adds $25 billion in rental and utility assistance and about $10 billion for mortgage aid.
  • The plan offers $350 billion in relief to state, local and tribal governments.
  • The proposal directs more than $120 billion to K-12 schools.
  • It increases the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit by 15% through September.
  • The bill includes an expansion of subsidies and other provisions to help Americans afford health insurance.
  • It offers nearly $30 billion in aid to restaurants.
  • The legislation expands an employee retention tax credit designed to allow companies to keep workers on payroll.

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday March 12 2021, @03:09AM (1 child)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday March 12 2021, @03:09AM (#1123073) Journal

    I'd argue that if someone is doing wrong, the fact that being made to do right causes them psychic pain *is* a good thing. You law-and-order types are supposed to be all about that aren't you? Aren't you?

    Besides which, while some of my ideas on immigration sound decidedly un-liberal, Julian is correct that disease doesn't give a shit about national borders. Regardless of how someone got here, if they *are* here, there is no realistic way of making sure they don't spread disease to others. It would cost less, in the medium and long term, to care for people as and when they need it.

    It's not hard to figure this out. What you're really saying here is that you would rather subsidize the suffering, the...ahem, "psychic pain" as well as physical pain and disease, of those you don't like, no matter the actual cost in money, or even the cost in lives and quality of life of those people you supposedly do like. Again, disease doesn't give a shit about ingroups and outgroups.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 13 2021, @08:00PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 13 2021, @08:00PM (#1123710)

    a bullet for bean niggers is still cheaper.