Democrats are Considering Withholding Coronavirus Stimulus Checks from Wealthier Households

Democrats are exploring ways to limit the cost of stimulus checks that would go to households in hopes of gaining Republican support for their next coronavirus pandemic relief bill.

During a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden and top Senate Democrats held “a conversation about the direct payments and how those might be modified in a way to ensure they’re targeted,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told reporters. 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, meanwhile, said the administration is considering lowering “the income level of people who receive the check” but not the amount of money itself.

Democrats have embraced Biden’s American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion package that includes unemployment benefits, vaccine distribution funding, and direct payments worth $1,400 per person, and have begun the legislative process that would allow them to pass a bill without any Republican support.