Third Coronavirus Stimulus Checks: What To Expect In Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON, DC — More aid for cash-strapped and pandemic-weary Pennsylvanians 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.

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 Pennsylvania 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.

Here's a breakdown of who would qualify for the checks in the Senate bill:

• People earning less than $75,000 a year and married couples earning less than $150,000 will receive the assistance, including children. That will provide money to about 90 percent of all households.
• The checks will not be given to individuals who earn more than $80,000 a year and married couples earning more than $160,000, regardless of how many children they have.

The Senate change would eliminate about 7 million families from receiving assistance, according to CNN.

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.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was down 0.1 percentage points in December to 6.7 percent. December was the most recent month for which statistics are available, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry.

Pennsylvania's civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – decreased 15,000 over the month due to declines in both employment and unemployment.

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, Pennsylvania will receive $7.3 billion of that aid should the provision within the legislation remain intact.

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.

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.

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.