Radio Recap – Senate Passes Stimulus Package: Here’s What’s in It

By 

Jordan Sekulow

|
March 26, 2020

3 min read

Public Policy

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The Senate finally passes the COVID-19 stimulus package. What’s actually in it for you?

On today’s Jay Sekulow Live we discussed the details of the stimulus package that the Senate passed.

This was an important broadcast. We at the ACLJ have had a team of attorneys and experts working through the night from across the country going through the stimulus bill that the Senate passed by a vote of 96-0. It’s a massive two trillion dollar Coronavirus stimulus compromise package. It passed just before midnight.

The bill has now be sent to the House of Representatives. Before I even got into what’s in the bill, I asked ACLJ Director of Government Affairs Thann Bennett if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was going to try to pull some stunt again and fund Planned Parenthood even though the Senate stripped that language out. Planned Parenthood is very unhappy and even tweeted about it. Or is this going to be allowed to move forward in the House?

Thann made the following point:

We’re not going to take it for granted that Speaker Pelosi won’t try something. Everything she is saying and everything that Minority Leader Hoyer is saying is that they will take this bill up as is tomorrow in the House of Representatives. They’ll have a little bit of debate and then they’ll try to pass it by voice vote, which is very similar to unanimous consent. Any member of the House could demand a roll call vote but all indications are that they will be able pass it by voice vote. But we’re not going to take it for granted.

I think it is kind of interesting that Speaker Pelosi at her press conference today was actually taking credit for the changes in the bill even though the changes in the bill that happened from the original Senate bill were very minor. Virtually all of the ones that Speaker Pelosi put in her House bill, that we’ve been warning people about, came out. She can take credit if she wants, maybe that increases the odds that they’ll pass it tomorrow in the House. I do think that’s likely. At least for now, that’s what they’re saying, a voice vote tomorrow in the House.

Here’s some key points from the bill that the Senate passed: There will be one-time direct payments to Americans of $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000, $2,400 to married couples making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child.

After a $75,000 threshold for individuals, the benefit would be reduced by $5 for each $100 the taxpayer makes. A similar $150,000 threshold applies to couples, and a $112,500 threshold for heads of households.

We can also confirm that those who receive Social Security benefits will receive direct payments as well.

You can listen to the entire episode complete with more discussion of what’s in the stimulus bill that the Senate passed, including how this effects businesses and churches, here.