Alternate Stimulus Plan Would Increase Payments To Families

Under an alternate stimulus proposal, a family of 4 would receive $4,000.

Now that the GOP has put the new HEALS act on the table, the negotiations are getting underway on Capital Hill to find a stimulus plan all Republican and Democratic lawmakers can approve. An alternate plan has been proposed that would provide more money to families.

The new Coronavirus Assistance for American Families Act, put together by Republican U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D., Steve Daines, Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio, was outlined in a press release from Dr. Cassidy's office and looks like this:

• Single adults would receive $1,000 ($2,000 for married couples who file jointly)
• Payments for children would be $1,000 each
• Payments would go to single filers with an income up to $75,000; $150,000 for joint filers

Terms for the HEALS act outline $1,200 payments for adults and $600 for each child. So adults with no children would receive less with this plan, but adults with children and families would end up getting a little more. For example, under the HEALS act a family of 4 would receive $3,400. Under this new plan, a family of 4 would receive $4,000.

So why the adjusted proposal? The press release quotes Dr. Cassidy who said “Much of the burden of the pandemic has fallen on parents and children. This legislation prioritizes their needs by providing resources for school supplies, childcare, and other unexpected expenses."

Dr. Cassidy makes a great point here, as homeschooling children has definitely added an extra burden to parents who are teaching at home. Or for parents who cannot be home with their kids, childcare is certainly a concern when kids would usually be going to school during the day. This is one of toughest challenges of kids not going to school as unexpected childcare costs are certainly a burden to many families across the nation.