WASHINGTON, (KERO) — A crucial week for stimulus checks, child tax credits, and unemployment benefits in Washington.
The House of Representatives passed early Saturday their version of the stimulus bill. Now it's up to the Senate to pass their version and changes are expected.
March 14 is now quickly approaching, that's when bonus unemployment benefits expire for millions who are out of work when the bill is passed. While the House of Representatives passed their version of the bill on Friday. This week we expect the bill to be changed in the Senate, all while the clock continues to tick.
So what is in the stimulus bill right now? $1,400 stimulus checks are included and the Senate is not expected to change that. Unemployment benefits to workers and help for businesses will also stay. Aid to cities is expected to be included but the amounts may change. The version that passed the house also expanded the child tax credit and that is expected to remain.
Parents would get $3,000 at least per child, up to $1,000 from last year, money to open schools and increase vaccine distribution will go up, but the $15 minimum wage hike will be taken out of the bill. The Senate simply doesn't have the votes to pass that right now. Just because a $15 national minimum wage will not be in the stimulus bill doesn't mean lawmakers are giving up on raising it.
Senator Bernie Sanders wants to penalize with a tax, large companies that don't pay workers that. meanwhile, some Republican senators have proposed raising it to $10 an hour instead. What Democrats don't want to happen is a major delay this week threatening that March 14 deadline. Although if there is one thing Washington is used to doing is waiting until the last minute to pass laws.
