Third Coronavirus Stimulus Checks: What MD Residents Can Expect

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

Senate Democrats plan to unveil their version of the massive relief package and begin debate Thursday, 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 lawmakers approved in December expire.

The Capitol Police were on guard for another assault on the Capitol building on Thursday after obtaining intelligence of a potential plot by a militia group, even as the Senate was poised to possibly begin debate on President Biden's plan. It was unclear Thursday afternoon when a vote would occur.

Here's what we can expect in Maryland 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.

President Biden and Democrats agreed Wednesday to tighten the upper income qualifying limits for stimulus checks. The payments would be cut off for individuals making $80,000 and couples earning $160,000, according to a deal first reported by The Washington Post.

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 — also would qualify for a payment of $1,400. That means a family of four could receive as much as $5,600 in total.

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 aims to extend federal pandemic unemployment benefits, raising the weekly payments from $300 to $400. But on Thursday that seemed to be in jeopardy, the AP reported, with the Senate preparing for scores of amendments later this week and keeping unemployment at $300 a week could secure support from moderate Democrats.

First-time unemployment claims in Maryland dropped slightly last week to 12,124, down from 12,283 the previous week, according to the state's labor department.

The latest figure — which covers the week ending Feb. 27 — pushes the total number of filings since March 2020 to more than 1.69 million.

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

Finally, 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, If approved, Maryland would see $6.2 billion with $3.899 billion for the state government, $638 million slotted for metro areas, $1.17 billion for counties and $506 million for other uses.

Will The Minimum Wage Increase?

Democrats' hopes of including a minimum wage increase in the relief bill seemed all but dead on Tuesday, 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 filibusters — procedural delays that would take an unachievable 60 votes for Democrats to overcome, AP reported.

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

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Thursday he is cosponsoring an amendment introduced by Sanders to add the $15 minimum wage back into the American Rescue Plan.

"Wealth and income inequality in America have been increasing dramatically for decades and Trump’s 2017 billionaire tax-cut made this situation even worse," Van Hollen said in a statement. "We are now experiencing the extreme inequality levels that existed just prior to the Great Depression.

"We need to get our priorities straight. That means putting working people first," Van Hollen added.

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 Thursday. 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.

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, AP reported.

Republicans are strongly against the legislation and could unanimously oppose its passage in the Senate, as House GOP lawmakers did when that chamber approved the bill early Saturday.

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