Third Stimulus Check: House Committee Approves $1,400 Stimulus Payments

Another progress towards the third stimulus check has been made.The House Ways and Means Committee approved a number of measures of President Joe Biden's stimulus package on Thursday. This includes the controversial $1,400 direct payments to Americans.

Third Stimulus Check

The committee in total approved $593.5 billion in benefits, with the vote divided along party lines. Democrats set forth half of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan through a House committee on Thursday. This advances $1,400 payments for millions of Americans and other objectives that Republicans deem expensive.

The Ways and Means Committee approved the $940 billion chunk of the president's proposal on a 25-18 party-line vote. This underscored a frenzied week that is witnessing dozens of House panels' fashion contributions to the massive measure.

While lawmakers on opposing sides have expressed support for the proposal, there is less agreement on who should be qualified for the direct payments.Congressional Democrats are setting forth with passing Biden's relief plan via a process named budget reconciliation. This would allow the Senate to approve the effort without GOP support, reported CBS News.

It reportedly looks like the third series of stimulus checks may be arriving prior to the first day of spring. According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, the House hopes to pass its massive economic aid package by the end of February, and "certainly [have it] on the President's desk in time to offset the March 14 deadline where some unemployment benefits will expire," reported Fortune.

The Education and Labor Committee on Wednesday approved another top Democratic initiative. It is an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour over five years.

The House bill would offer hundreds of billions for state and local governments to bolster vaccination efforts, increase unemployment benefits, raise tax credits for children, and raise federal health care assistance. A dozen House committees are working on varying elements of the president's $1.9 trillion rescue proposal.

Thursday’s component is one of many under the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means panel. The committees are looking to complete their work on Friday. The full House will be voting on the overall package the week of February 22.

According to Representative Suzan DelBene during the Ways and Means Committee’s debate on Thursday regarding the stimulus checks approved in the previous series of pandemic assistance, the $600 rebates that Congress disseminated in December were not sufficient. She added this is critical relief to help families soldier through the crisis.

According to Rep. Richard E. Neal in a statement, "Over the last two days, the Ways and Means Committee has considered aggressive, science-based solutions that will deliver the urgent relief our country so desperately needs. From unemployment benefits to health care affordability, the work we've done is substantial, and it is exactly what the American people have been calling on us to do to meet this moment," reported Newsweek.

Neal added, "To my colleagues on the Committee, the amazing Committee staff, and the many others who worked around the clock to make this happen, thank you for putting the American people first and showing them that help is on the way."