House to Vote on Biden's COVID-19 Relief Package, Says Hoyer

By Mary Anne Webber (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Feb 24, 2021 04:32 AM EST

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) wears a protective mask while speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on January 11, 2021 in Washington, DC. House Republicans blocked Hoyers efforts to quickly move a resolution that urged Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office. (Photo : Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)

The House will vote on President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief package with a price cap worth $1.9 trillion on Friday, according to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

"The House will vote on Friday on @POTUS' #AmericanRescuePlan to end this pandemic and deliver urgently needed relief to America's families and small businesses. The American people strongly support this bill, and we are moving swiftly to see it enacted into law," Hoyer tweeted, as quoted in a The Hill report.

The tweet comes after Democrats sought to move fast on the COVID-19 relief package before a number of federal programs expire on Mar. 14.

The House Budget Committee passed the bill on Monday on a party-line vote, while the Rules Committee is scheduled to consider the measure on Friday at 9:30 a.m.

The bill would then be mulled over on the House floor.

How Much Can You Get?

Under thw program, the stimulus check amounts to $1,400. However, Congressional Democrats are considering new rules to target or restrict the checks to lower income earners.

Some of those who qualified for the first two payments of stimulus checks may not receive the third round of payment under the new rules for the proposed eligibility rules.

There is a new income threshold being imposed, which was designed to exclude higher earners from getting a check. The new income threshold would also come with a rule change for the use of dependents in the stimulus check formula.

What's Included in The Package?

Congressional Democrats are pushing to include adult dependents,as well as children and families with mixed-status citizenship, for the third round of payments. The new definition of dependents would include anyone you can claim on your tax returns, such as children over 16, older adults under your care, and child dependents of any age with disabilities, according to a CNET report.

Mixed-status citizenship in the family would also be eligible for a stimulus check. It is possible for families where one spouse is a U.S. citizen to be eligible for a check. Under Biden's proposal, this would work with more scenarios.

However, this is still not clear if this would pass as part of the final bill.

Marital status could also affect the price cap of checks one could receive. For those single and filing alone, you could get $1,200 at most the first time around. For those married, they could be eligible for up to $2,400.

Meanwhile, forgiving student debt is also on the table. However, some Senate Democrats and Biden have opposing thoughts on how much to cancel.

This month, Biden said he supports canceling $10,000 in student debt and extending the pause on student loan repayments. The president is at odds with a Senate Democrats proposal as that calls for canceling up to $50,000 in student debt,

"I'm prepared to write off the $10,000 debt, but not $50,000," Biden was quoted in a report.

The House stimulus bill does not address student loan debt.

Tags Hoyer, COVID-19 Relief Package