Lawmakers Are Proposing Monthly Stimulus Payments
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, introduced the Emergency Money for the People Act in the House on Tuesday. It calls for people earning under $130,000 to get $2,000 payments every month for at least six months, with special rules for married couples and children.
“A one-time, twelve-hundred-dollar check isn’t going to cut it,” Khanna said in a news release. “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.”
The Emergency Money for the People Act also would let recipients get their stimulus checks without a bank or home address. Money could come through pre-paid debit cards or even mobile apps like Venmo.
The monthly payment idea is gaining traction with other politicians, as well. More than 60 members of Congress signed an open letter earlier this month demanding recurring monthly payments to help taxpayers.
“The inclusion of direct assistance in the CARES Act was an important first step, but we must provide workers and families with relief that actually matches the need and scale of this economic and health crisis,” they wrote. “Simply put — people need more money in their pockets, and sending monthly payments to workers and families is the fastest and most direct way to address that need.”