WASHINGTON — A Democratic official says President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats have agreed to tighten the upper-income limits at which people could qualify for stimulus checks in the party's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.
The decision is a major concession to moderates as party leaders prepared to move their legislation through the Senate.
As part of Democrats’ legislative thrust on what is Biden’s top initial legislative priority, individuals earning up to $75,000 — and couples up to $150,000 — would get $1,400 checks per person.
According to NBC News, the new version of the plan eliminates stimulus checks for individuals making between $80,000 and $100,000, and couples earning between $160,000 and $200,000. Those Americans would not have been eligible for a full $1,400 check, but would have received some assistance.
The official said Wednesday the COVID-19 relief measure Senate Democrats plan to unveil will retain the $400 weekly emergency jobless benefits that were included in a House-approved version of the legislation.
At a White House briefing on Wednesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said that while Biden has remained steadfast that individuals making less than $75,000 should be entitled to a $1,400, he has been "open from the beginning" regarding "changes at the margins" beyond that. She added that Biden is "comfortable where the negotiations stand."