Report: Democrats Open To Capping Income For Stimulus Checks At $50,000 A Year For Individuals

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TOPLINE

Some senior Democratic officials are open to setting an income limit of $50,000 for the next round of stimulus checks, according to The Washington Post, as Democrats try to shore up support from those like West Virginia Sen. Joe Machin (D) to help push through President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

KEY FACTS

The idea is just in the conversation phase and has not been put in legislation, according to the Post, citing sources with knowledge of the discussions.

The discussions reportedly include an income cap of $50,000 for individuals, $75,000 for heads of households and $100,000 for joint filers to receive full checks—a significant decrease in eligibility limits compared to earlier checks.

For now, Democrats are proposing full checks to individuals making under $75,000 and joint filers making under $150,000 a year—the same eligibility guidelines used for the earlier rounds of checks.

Democrats passed a budget resolution Tuesday aimed at passing the stimulus package by the slimmest of margins—50-49—with not a single senator crossing party lines.

The White House has called for $1,400 stimulus checks, and has signaled that lowering the amount of the payment is not up for negotiation, even as details on who qualifies for the checks is apparently still being hashed out.

The income caps would put the Democratic package more in line with a Republican proposal released Monday, which called for $1,000 stimulus checks that would go to individuals making under $40,000 a year with smaller payments for single filers making up to $50,000 a year.

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