$600 Stimulus Checks Proposed by White House
On Tuesday, the White House Administration proposed adding a $600 stimulus payment in the most recent round of negotiations for an economic relief bill. The one-time payment would drastically reduce government contributions to unemployment benefits, which were augmented weekly in the first stimulus package. The payment proposed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would disperse $600 to individuals and an additional $600 for each child. Mnuchin’s outline includes extending regular unemployment benefits with no weekly federal supplemental payment.
The Trump Administration’s offer is a stark rejection of the recent bipartisan effort to come to an agreement to aid the ailing US economy, which has been severely strained by the coronavirus pandemic. The bipartisan outline put forth by a group of moderate legislators last week includes $180 billion in funding for jobless benefits, which would cover millions of unemployed Americans through a $300 weekly federal supplemental payment and also includes various unemployment program extensions which are due to expire at the end of December. The proposed bipartisan package does not include a second round of economic stimulus checks. Congressional Democratic leaders have voiced their strong disapproval of the latest White House proposal, which they believe could completely derail the recent bipartisan compromise negotiations.
Ann Sullivan is a contributing staff writer covering national and world news topics. She brings dedicated experience having written international and domestic news, blogs, and web content for over 20 years. She’s also a published poet and graphic designer with degrees in Business and Graphic Communications and has been a music distributor, music industry sponsorship sales director and band manager.