(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Democratic senators have unveiled proposals for a pandemic assistance program that will give $2,000 every month to every American until after the crisis is over.
Senators Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Ed Markey rolled out a bill early Friday to provide individuals who earn less than $120,000 a month a payment of $2,000 monthly, as historic unemployment has left millions of Americans unable to sustain their day to day needs.
This week, jobless rates have reached record highs, with the US economy losing a whopping 20.5 million jobs in April - the biggest decline since the Great Depression.
The senators introduced the so-called Monthly Economic Support Act as part of the huge stimulus initiative approved at the end of March, which would greatly increase the one-time incentive grants of $1,200 provided to most Americans.
Similar to a House bill introduced in mid-April, the latest cash incentive would extend to $4,000 for married couples, and would also include an additional $2,000 for up to three children.
The plan is set to be retroactive until March. Monthly payments will continue for three months after the Department of Health and Human Services have declared the health emergency over.
A $2 trillion package called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Protection Act was passed by the Senate at the end of March, but the trio of progressive senators say it is not enough.
The CARES Act offered a significant one-time payment to Americans, but it is clear that it was not nearly adequate to meet the needs of this unprecedented turmoil, Harris disclosed in a statement.
After the pandemic, bills will start to arrive every month, and then the government will support. The proposal has a low chance of getting through the Republican-controlled Senate, which has soured on spending.
But with over 30 million people rendered jobless in the past seven weeks and no end to the crisis in sight, Democrats aim to raise pressure on Congressional officials as they start talks about the fiscal relief package expected sometime this month.
The new proposal would also prohibit debt collectors from taking the payments and ensure that they are sent to people irrespective of whether they have filed their 2019 taxes or have a Social Security number. People must have a Social Security number to obtain a $1,200 incentive payment under the CARES Act.
An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey released Thursday showed that 50 percent of Americans said they or someone in their family has either lost a job or had their work hours cut due to the pandemic. That is up from 18 percent a month ago.
