Biden Signal Opening to Send $ 1,400 Incentive Check to Small Group

Instead, he said he would consider targeting Americans differently than the previous two rounds of direct aid. Members of both political parties have questioned whether the $ 1400 payment they proposed will go to those who do not need assistance.

“We can better target that number. I’m fine, ”said Mr. Biden, according to the people.

White House press secretary Jane Saki said later on Wednesday that Mr. Biden is open to changes in the range to qualify for the $ 1,400 incentive check. “It’s something that’s been in the discussion,” she said.

Mr Biden also said they were flexible on the overall cost of the package, which Democrats have begun to pursue through Congress through a process that calls them, along party lines, according to people familiar with the call Will allow to pass. He said Democrats could “compromise” on several programs in the proposal, one of the people said.

Ms Saki said Mr Biden is not expecting the final package, as he proposed. “She knows this is part of the legislative process,” she said.

Beyond sending money to many Americans, the $ 1.9 trillion proposal would provide assistance to state and local governments, provide funding for the distribution of Kovid-19 vaccines and increase federal unemployment benefits. The money under the plan will go toward schools, childcare facilities and renters, which also seeks to raise the federal minimum wage to $ 15 per hour.

Republicans have called Mr. Biden’s plan too costly and premature since Congress approved aid of nearly $ 900 billion in December, and he has criticized provisions such as raising the unrelated minimum wage as an epidemic. A proposal advanced by 10 Senate Republicans would provide $ 618 billion in relief, which would back Mr. Biden’s proposals on eliminating unemployment insurance and direct scrutiny and others.

In meetings with Democrats, Mr. Biden has said that the GOP plan is too small to deal with the effects of the epidemic.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, Ky.) Said that Democrats are “desperate to do their first act in power, targeting the same kind of large-scale, partisan, poorly-borrowed race that endures The last Democratic president has been wounded out of the gate.

Democrats are divided over who Americans should benefit from a new round of direct payments. Previous relief bills began to pay people more than $ 75,000 per year and for married couples with incomes in excess of $ 150,000. The Biden administration has not yet detailed its income cutoff, although some Democrats have said they want to stick to the same cutoff as previous efforts.

Other Democrats view the current thresholds as too liberal, allowing Americans to receive government aid that has not been financially disadvantaged during the epidemic.

Mr. Biden, speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday after a meeting with Sen. Chris Kons (D, Dale), said: “We had a conversation about direct payments and how they can be modified in those ways.” Make sure they are targeted. ”He said that Mr. Biden” is not going to forget the middle class. “

The Republican plan would reduce the size of the check per check to $ 1,000 per adult and begin phasing out payments for individuals who make $ 40,000 per year or more and married couples with incomes of $ 80,000 or more. A bipartisan group of senators involved in kickstarting the previous Coronavirus relief bill has also discussed how to target the relief investigation.

This week Democrats proceeded with a process called reconciliation, which would allow them to pass a coronovirus relief bill with fewer than 60 votes required by most legislation in the Senate. With 50–50 Senate splits — Vice President Kamala Harris may break ties – Democrats cannot afford to lose a single vote on the package in the Senate.

According to the Penn-Wharton budget model, households save about 73% of the money in the short-term, which they receive from direct payments if Mr. Biden’s proposal of $ 1,400 per person is the same income limit as earlier payments. Uses in. That savings figure includes repayment of debt.

The group said that those who lost income would be more focused on them.

“A large proportion of the people receiving the check are people who are going to protect it because they are not in these industries,” said Rich Prisinjano, group director of policy analysis.

Proponents of sending direct payments argue that casting a wide net helps those who may slip from the crack of other aid programs.

Mr. Biden met with another group of Democratic senators in the Oval Office on Wednesday. After the meeting, most of the Senate leader Chuck Schumer (D, NY) told reporters that this was an important discussion, and that Democrats were united to pass a larger package.

“We want to do it bipartisan, but we need to be strong,” Mr. Schumer said. “We cannot be troubled, we cannot delay, we cannot dilute, because the troubles that we have in this country and the opportunities we can bring are so great.”

The new president’s meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill are the latest in Wednesday’s meetings. He spoke with Senate Democrats on Tuesday, urging lawmakers to adopt a larger package. On Monday, Mr. Biden hosted a group of 10 Senate Republicans at the White House to discuss his $ 618 billion alternative plan.

-Tarini Parti and Richard Rubin contributed to this article.

write to Andrew Lauren at [email protected] and [email protected].