In the News

Promoting the Biden administration’s proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package, U.S. Congressman Richard Neal said neither he nor the president see any room for negotiation with Republicans on the $1.9 trillion bottom line.

“This is about a pandemic. This is about stability,” the Massachusetts Democrat said Monday afternoon, speaking alongside Gov. Charlie Baker at the State House. “I often hear people say stimulus. This is about stability.”

Neal, who serves as chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, instead touted the proposed relief package as a way to advance the nation’s vaccination plan and aid states and cities that have struggled to cover costs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Baker cited his FY22 budget as an example of the ripple effects of the coronavirus-driven recession; the governor proposed a smaller budget than what was passed the year before. Baker has filed as $45.6 billion budget for fiscal 2022. And while the state continues to see fewer unemployment claims than it did early on in the pandemic, as of two weeks ago more than 165,000 Massachusetts residents remain out of work.

Appearing on the governor’s news briefing, Neal outlined the terms of President Joe Biden’s proposed stimulus package. In addition to a proposed $1,400 check for eligible residents, he noted the plan includes an extended child tax credit, enhanced unemployment benefits through September, rental assistance, funding for schools to reopen and funding to advance a national vaccination program.

If approved and signed into law quickly, Neal said Americans could see the benefits of the latest stimulus package as quickly as April 1.

With a Democratic majority in the House and Senate for the first time in a decade, Biden doesn’t need bipartisan support to get the stimulus package passed. But there are some disagreements among GOP and Democratic leaders, as well as gripes from progressives in the House.

Some Republicans and conservative Democrats have called for full stimulus payments to go solely to those earning $40,000 or less, with those earning $50,000 or more being completely exempt. Biden has considered an income cap of up to $65,000.

The proposed income thresholds from Republicans has drawn criticism from Democrats, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“It is absurd to be telling working-class people, somebody who has a decent union job – they’re making $55,000, $60,000 — sorry, you’re not eligible for the program,” Sanders told CNN on Sunday. “It makes no sense to me at all, nor do I think it makes sense to the American people.”

The previous two COVID-19 relief bills sent full stimulus checks — first a $1,200 check and then a $600 check — to Americans earning under $75,000 and married couples earning under $150,000.

When asked about the possibility of a $65,000 income cap, Neal did not say whether he supports the idea. Instead, he touted his proposal for a child tax credit of at least $3,000 per child. The CARES Act that was passed in the spring, he said, did not include such relief for parents.

“The point that you raise is entirely legitimate about income-based guidelines,” Neal said in response to a question from MassLive but discussed other challenges to get stimulus checks to Americans.

Neal went on to say he doesn’t want to see those making $300,000 a year getting stimulus checks, but he did not say whether he supports the income cap of $60,000 or $65,000.

One issue he said the Treasury Department encountered is some people who earned under $12,000 a year, or married couple who jointly earned $24,000 a year, did not file taxes. Federal officials had to trace Medicaid records to get those people their stimulus money.