Third Coronavirus Stimulus Checks: What To Expect In Illinois

ILLINOIS — More aid for cash-strapped and pandemic-weary Illinoisans could be on the way soon as the U.S. Senate this week prepares to debate its own version of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by the House of Representatives over the weekend.

Senate Democrats hope to unveil their version of the massive relief package and begin debate as early as Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

The goal is to send the legislation, which aims to combat the pandemic and bolster the U.S. economy, to President Joe Biden by March 14 — the day emergency jobless benefits that lawmakers approved in December are set to expire.

Here’s what we can expect in Illinois as lawmakers in Washington, D.C., continue negotiations:

How Much Aid Can I Anticipate?

Most notably, the measure would provide $1,400 payments to individuals who meet certain income criteria.

The criteria for who would get a stimulus payment and when the payments would go out are similar to those used last year for the first and second rounds of stimulus checks.

The maximum amount for the third round of stimulus checks would be $1,400 for any eligible individual or $2,800 per eligible couple filing taxes jointly. Each eligible dependent — including adult dependents — would also qualify for a payment of $1,400. That means a family of four could receive as much as $5,600 in total.

Single adults who reported $75,000 or less in adjusted gross income on their 2019 or 2020 tax return would receive full $1,400 payments, as would heads of household who reported $112,500 or less. Couples filing jointly who earned $150,000 or less in adjusted gross income would receive the full $2,800.

The size of the payment is expected to gradually decrease for those who earned more than that. Eventually, payments would phase out for higher-income households.

If Congress moves quickly on the relief package, the third stimulus payments could begin to go out in late March, according to the American Association of Retired Persons.

Where Else Is The Money Going?

In addition to direct payments, the legislation would provide hundreds of billions of dollars for schools and colleges, COVID-19 vaccines and testing, mass transit systems, renters and small businesses. It also has money for child care, tax breaks for families with children, and assistance for states willing to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income residents.

The legislation is also expected to extend federal pandemic unemployment benefits, raising the weekly payments from $300 to $400.

In total, more than 19 million Americans are currently receiving jobless benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In Illinois, there are 419,000 fewer jobs statewide compared to this time last year, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The state unemployment rate is currently 7.6 percent, up from 3.7 percent a year ago, but down from 17.2 percent at the height of the pandemic.

The House Oversight Committee in February approved a provision that would include in the overall package $350 billion in aid to state and local governments. It also published a breakdown of how much assistance local governments would receive. According to the data, Illinois will receive about $13.5 billion of that aid should the provision within the legislation remain intact, with $7.5 billion going to the state government, $2.7 billion for Chicago and other metro cities, $2.5 billion for counties, and another $738 million for other jurisdictions.

Will The Minimum Wage Increase?

Democrats' hopes of including a minimum wage increase in the relief bill seemed all but dead on Tuesday, the AP reported.

Last week, hopes for a higher minimum wage dimmed after the Senate parliamentarian said chamber rules forbid the inclusion of a straight-out minimum wage increase in the legislation.

Regardless, progressives are continuing to push for the increase.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders told Democrats to ignore the parliamentarian's ruling blocking the minimum wage increase. He also wants them to vote to eliminate the filibuster — a procedural delay that requires 60 votes to overcome, the AP reported.

“This is the soul of the Democratic Party,” Sanders said of the minimum wage proposal.

Acknowledging that his effort might fall short, Sanders said, “If we fail in this legislation, I will be back” to offer it in the near future.

What Are The Next Steps?

This is how the legislative process is expected to unfold throughout the week, according to a CNN report:

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will bring the package to the Senate floor as soon as Wednesday. That version will not include language on a minimum wage increase.

• Once introduced, the Senate will begin 20 hours of debate
• At the end of those 20 hours, the Senate will begin its second vote-a-rama — the first was held in early February, allowing lawmakers to write and pass the relief bill. These marathon votes are often unpredictable, according to CNN, but using past votes as an indicator, the Senate could vote on it by early Friday morning.

If the Senate passes its version of the bill by the end of this week, that would give the House time to re-pass the new version before the March 14 deadline. Once both chambers have passed the legislation, it would go to President Biden for his signature.

Who Supports It In Illinois Who’s Against It?

The $1.9 trillion bill is by far Biden’s biggest early legislative priority, and many see it as a test of his ability to unite Democrats in the Senate. It also risks lasting damage to Biden’s influence should he fail, the AP reported.

Republicans are strongly against the legislation, and every Illinois Republican joined in a party-line vote against its passage in the House.

Illinois' two U.S. Senators, both Democrats, are strongly in favor of the legislation.

Sen. Dick Durbin said the stimulus bill would mean more funding for projects like Illinois' first federal mass vaccination center, which is set to open at the United Center on March 10.

"You hear all the conversations in Washington about all the billions and trillions of dollars, and you must stop and ask yourself once in a while will we ever see any of that in Illinois? Is there any evidence that that money is going to make it here and make a difference?" Durbin said at a news conference Friday. "This is evidence of it. The $800 million invested here was part of a $900 billion bill we passed just a few weeks ago in December. And more help is on the way if Congress responds favorably to President Biden's request."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth endorsed her party's plans to use budget reconciliation to pass the stimulus bill without Republican support.

“This reconciliation bill will provide Congress with another tool to help the country recover from this crisis with additional and substantial stimulus checks for working families, extended and enhanced unemployment benefits, more funding for state and local governments, more resources for struggling small businesses and additional support for widespread testing and vaccine distribution programs," Duckworth said in a statement. "We need all of this if we’re going to crush this virus and deliver real support for families and communities in need. I hope my Republican colleagues will join Democrats to act immediately in a meaningful and comprehensive way that helps all Americans.”