If there’s a $600 in the next stimulus bill, will there be a third check in 2021? – CNET

After months and months of White House and Congressional negotiators talking past each other, discussions on a new economic relief bill picked up sharply this week, with President Donald Trump calling for new $600 stimulus checks, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying he’ll drop his requirement for liability protections and Republicans and Democrats both insisting Congress must send another direct payment this year.

Many hurdles remain for Congress to send a second direct payment in 2020, and there is no guarantee the House and Senate will approve a new check. But if Congress does agree to send a second payment this year, does that mean there could be a third stimulus check in 2021?

The negotiations for economic relief legislation to help the country weather the coronavirus pandemic have veered between approving a second stimulus payment for eligible people this year and waiting till 2021, with the hopes that direct aid will return to the conversation after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

This week, the Trump administration proposed sending $600 checks to qualifying adults and children, following a handful of members of Congress urging negotiators to agree on another check this year.

If Congress does send a second check this year, Biden and top Democrats in Congress have all committed to revisiting a broader COVID-19 relief package in 2021, which could mean more stimulus aid, with a third payment possible in the new year.

What would keep a stimulus check out of the latest bill? 

To the authors of the new $908 billion bipartisan proposal that is largely driving relief discussions this month, a second check may simply cost too much. As of this summer, the IRS said it sent 160 million stimulus payments totaling $270 billion, or roughly 30% of the total bipartisan proposal. As of September, the IRS was still hunting down at least 9 million people who were still owed that first payment, bringing the total cost even higher. 

Including another $280 billion in this iteration of the bill would tip the proposal over the $1 trillion mark, which is higher than Republican lawmakers have been willing to go. To improve their chances of passing crucial relief through both the Democrat-led House of Representatives and the Republican-led Senate before Jan. 1, a stimulus check compromise may very well come down to paring back some provisions. 

And without a package of any sort by the time the last federal aid expires on Dec. 31, critical protections keeping tens of millions of Americans fed and housed could lapse for weeks.

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Next stimulus checks: What to expect

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How could a second stimulus check make it into a new relief bill

The number of lawmakers who support a second check is growing. And the Trump administration is calling for $600 checks. Here’s a partial list of people and groups in and around government who have come out strongly in favor of another check.

President-elect Joe Biden: “I think it would be better if they have the $1,200 and I understand that may be still in play,” Biden said Dec. 4, adding that he supports the $908 billion proposal as a necessary short-term compromise. “You’ve got to find the sweet spot where you have enough people willing to move in a direction that gets us a long way down the road.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders: The Vermont Democrat and former presidential hopeful said he won’t support the $908 billion bill without major changes to include stimulus checks. He also wants to exclude language about limiting lawsuits related to COVID-19, something that Republicans want. “In my view, we have got to make sure that every working class American receives at least $1,200 in direct payments,” Sanders said.

Sen. Josh Hawley: The Republican from Missouri appears to be a lone voice in his party, both advocating for another direct payment and also tweeting his willingness to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats. “I don’t know why we wouldn’t give assistance directly to families and individuals who need it,” he told NBC News Dec. 3. “It’s fast — it’s as fast as anything else.”

“I will gladly work w/@AOC and anyone else who wants to help working families. Families and working people in need should be the FIRST consideration in COVID relief, not last,” Hawley tweeted Dec. 4, referring to New York Democrat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez objected to the lack of a stimulus check for ordinary Americans. “COVID relief needs to directly help everyday people. People need stimulus checks & UI,” she tweeted Friday, referring to a larger weekly check for unemployment insurance.

Rep. Roy Blunt: “We need to continue the funding for the vaccine, the delivery of the vaccine,” Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, said Nov. 29 on CNN. “Direct money to struggling families would be helpful and some extension of unemployment.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, Rep. Rashida Tlaib: The Democrats also vocalized their support for direct relief. Manchin helped craft the $908 billion stimulus bill as a way to keep programs from expiring without a safety net, he said.

127 economists: A large group of bipartisan economists, including former President Barack Obama’s top economic advisor, called on Congress Nov. 23 to swiftly pass a stimulus bill, specifically one that includes a check for Americans.

“We urge policymakers to use all the tools at their disposal to revitalize the economy, including direct cash payments, which are one of the quickest, most equitable, and most effective ways to get families and the economy back on track,” the open letter said.

President Donald Trump: On Oct. 6, Trump openly called for Democrats to reach an agreement on a stimulus deal, hours after putting a stop to negotiations on the same day, while being treated for COVID-19 with a drug known to have strong side effects. “If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now,” he tweeted. This week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent a new proposal that reportedly includes $600 stimulus checks to Democratic leaders.

Democrat-authored Heroes Act, versions 1 and 2: Both versions of the bill passed by the House of Representatives on May 15 and Oct. 1, respectively, included a second stimulus check of up to $1,200 per eligible adult.

Republican-Authored HEALS Act: Introduced in the Senate by Republican authors on July 27, this trillion-dollar proposal included a maximum $1,200 direct payment, just like the CARES Act from March and the Heroes Act.

So how could we get a third check in 2021?

It’s too soon to say what will happen, but if Congress does approve a second check in the few weeks left in 2020, Biden and his economic team have said they’re putting together a plan to help bolster an economy that may not fully recover for years. Biden has continued to urge Congress to send another direct payment this year, and he may continue to push for one in his own relief proposal after he takes office in January.

For more information on stimulus checks, here’s how you might get more money in your next check, or a smaller payment next time around. Here’s who may not qualify. And this is a primer on the five different priority groups and when you might realistically be able to get another check if and when it’s passed, based on key dates.