Saying lawmakers "need to take bold and swift action
as soon as possible," Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell on Thursday introduced legislation to provide as much as
$1,200 per person and $2,400 per couple in the U.S. amid the coronavirus
outbreak and skyrocketing jobless claims.
The draft legislation, obtained by Fox News, would provide
minimum payments of $600, and aid would be phased down at income thresholds of
$75,000 for individuals and $150,000 per couple. Additionally, there would be
$500 payments for each child.
The rebate amount is slated to be reduced by $5 for each
$100 a taxpayer’s income exceeds the legislation's threshold. The amount is
therefore reduced to zero for single taxpayers with incomes exceeding $99,000
and $198,000 for joint filers. The IRS will determine income based
on taxpayers' 2018 tax returns.
The legislation additionally contains numerous business-related provisions geared
at helping small businesses, including a delay of payment for employer payroll
taxes, a delay of estimated tax payments for corporations, and
modifications for net operating losses.
A person is taken on a stretcher into the
United Memorial Medical Center after going through testing for COVID-19
Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Houston. People were lined up in their cars in a
line that stretched over two miles to be tested in the drive-thru testing for
coronavirus. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
McConnell's plan would provide $208 billion in loans and
loan guarantees to distressed sectors of the economy, including $50 billion for
commercial airlines and $8 billion for air cargo carriers, and $150 billion for
other eligible businesses, but those loans would have to be paid back.
McConnell, R-Ky., speaking on the Senate floor, said he
wanted key Republicans to meet with Democrats on the relief bill, known
as S.3548, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Phase III).
It's an opening salvo in fast-track talks with Democrats
as President Trump urges Congress to “go big” to respond as Americans reel from
the crisis.
"These are urgent discussions and they need to
happen at the member level," McConnell said, noting the White House will
send key personnel to talk about the bill as they try to forge a compromise.
Fox News is told McConnell did not yet have the votes on
his side, and had two Republicans self-quarantined.
Speaking after McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer, D-N.Y., complained that Republicans had sought "no input"
from Democrats, and asserted that no Democrats had even seen the bill.
He added he was told "there is a bailout for
industries" in the measure.
Democrats have their own proposals for ushering aid to
Americans, and even some of McConnell's GOP senators have said they
preferred instead to use the federal dollars to keep workers who are asked
to stay home on the business payrolls.
“What I want is income, not one check,” said Sen. Lindsey
Graham, R-S.C., summing up the views of some exiting a long, private meeting of
GOP senators on Capitol Hill. One or two checks “makes no sense to me,” he
said.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday morning
told Fox Business Network that the White House was looking
at payments of $1,000 to most adult Americans within three weeks, as a way to
stem the widespread economic damage caused by shuttered businesses and social
distancing.
Mnuchin also said that if the crisis were still ongoing
in six weeks, the federal government would deliver another round of checks
worth the same amount of money.
The Treasury secretary said Thursday the checks would be
direct-deposited into people’s accounts.
Meanwhile, President Trump on Wednesday signed
the second coronavirus relief
bill into law that provides paid sick leave, unemployment help and
free testing to Americans.
The legislation provides 14 days of paid sick days
to workers affected by the coronavirus, ensures free testing to everyone,
including the uninsured, and expands food aid and boosts unemployment dollars
to states.
The House and Senate already passed a bipartisan $8.3
billion package to prop up the health care system to prepare for the influx of
sick Americans. The second response bill that was signed into law Wednesday
aims to bring relief to workers who lost their jobs and families at home
for illnesses, quarantines or caring for kids whose schools have shuttered.
Though unusual, stimulus checks are not unprecedented.
Former President George W. Bush's administration twice successfully pushed for
economic stimulus checks.
This is a developing story. Check back soon
for updates.
Fox News' Chad Pergram, Brooke
Singman, Mike Emanuel, and The Associated Press contributed to this
report.
