Proposed Bill Would Give Americans $2,000 per Month Amid Pandemic

Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia, Pa., on Feb. 11, 2005. William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Two House Democrats have introduced legislation that will provide some Americans with $2,000 per month during the CCP virus pandemic.

Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced the measure on Tuesday, saying that Americans could get the funds until employment returns to pre-pandemic levels.

The Emergency Money for the People Act would include the payments to those over the age of 16 who make less than $130,000 per year, according to a press release.

They noted that the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, passed in Congress last month, is an “important first step” but it doesn’t “provide nearly enough support for American families.”

Their news release also said: “The Emergency Money for the People Act additionally recognizes that not everyone has a bank or a home address to receive a check—so it allows individuals to get this money through direct deposit, check, pre-paid debit card, or mobile money platforms such as Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal.”

The bill has 17 other cosponsors, all Democrats, including Rep. Barbara Lee of California, a leading figure on the House Steering and Policy Committee.

“A one-time, $1,200 check isn’t going to cut it,” Khanna said in a live stream. “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.”

According to the news release, married couples who earn less than $260,000 would receive at least $4,000 per month. Qualifying families would get $500 per child, and families will get funds for up to three kids.

“Those who were not eligible in 2019 or 2018 but would be eligible in 2020, could submit at least two consecutive months of paychecks to verify income eligibility,” the release also said.

The measure would also expand the program to Americans who were ineligible to receive cash under the CARES Act, including college students and adults with disabilities who are still claimed as a dependent on another person’s taxes.

It comes as the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched a new “Get My Payment” website and app to allow Americans to see if their stimulus payments were deposited.

The “Get My Payment” portal allows people to see when their money will be deposited or when a check will be mailed. The website will also confirm if the IRS will send the money in the mail or via a direct deposit.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide.