The CASH Act (American Citizen Care with Extra Support) passed by the US House of Representatives on December 28 with 275 positive and 134 votes against. As many as 44 Republican congressmen support the bill proposed by the Democrats, according to The Hill.
The CASH Act – if passed in the US Senate and signed by President Trump – will increase the value of checks supporting the American people against the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic from $600 to $2,000. Individuals earning less than $75,000 and couples with gross income less than $150,000 will be eligible for full assistance.
With a check rate of 600 USD/person under the original budget package, the US government will spend 164 billion USD in direct support to the American people. The value of new checks will cost the US $464 billion more in budget money.
The CASH Act also allows dependent adults, such as students, people with disabilities or the elderly, to receive both a $ 2,000 check and a $ 500 support amount specified in the CARES Act ( Support, relief and economic assurance against corona virus) was approved in March.
The CASH Act has been proposed to vote by Democrats on December 24, after President Donald Trump criticized the $ 600 per capita support as “absurdly low”.
On December 27, the new president agreed to approve the budget package of $ 900 billion in Covid-19 relief after a week of delay. He also mentioned the Democrats’ plan to vote in the House of Representatives.
“The President of the United States has said frankly that this is what he wants, outlined in his statement approving the law yesterday. I hope this view will be shared by the Republicans in the Senate”,House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on December 28 announced.
Democrats’ efforts to raise support for the American people could face a big test in the Republican Senate. Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, has not confirmed whether to hold a vote on the new bill.
Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican leader in the Senate, warned last week that the $ 2,000 check proposal would fail.