PHILADELPHIA – MAY 8: Economic stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center May 8, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:30 PM PT – Monday, March 8, 2021
As Congress looks to finalize passing the nearly $2 trillion COVID relief package, questions surround who exactly will be receiving a stimulus check.
The White House claimed the $1,400 direct payments would begin to go out before the end of this month. However, eyebrows are being raised over new details, which show prison inmates and illegal immigrants would be eligible.
Republican senators have sounded the alarm over who is actually receiving direct payments from the COVID relief bill.
9/x …reflexively believe his gals charge that I was the one lying.
FACT 14: When the checks go out, millions of illegal immigrants WILL GET $1400 checks.
PREDICTION: the Lefty press & pundits won’t cover it, and won’t care.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 7, 2021
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sponsored a proposal to block illegal immigrants from receiving stimulus checks, saying the COVID relief bill failed to address the “real needs” of Americans. However, Democrats blocked this effort, meaning payments will be doled out to mixed status families that include individuals in the U.S. illegally.
Sen. Cruz’s amendment is estimated to block stimulus checks from two million qualifying U.S. citizen children with undocumented parents, including 350,000 kids in Texas. These American kids should receive this relief just as other American kids do. Chair @SenatorDurbin objects ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Nz56w1k0pd
— Senate Judiciary Committee (@JudiciaryDems) March 6, 2021
In addition, what’s been dubbed as Joe Biden’s “America last” agenda, is only gaining traction as he’s continued to succumb to pressure from the left in minimizing who would be eligible. This came as Democrats moved to make the stimulus money more “targeted,” by changing the income requirements.
The amount initially started phasing out at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples, but ultimately landed on $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for couples. Anyone making more than that would get essentially nothing, marking around 17 million Americans who will not benefit from the stimulus.
House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) admitted there will be people who could use the direct payments but won’t get them, saying it’s okay because 250 million people will get them.
All the while, millions of Americans haven’t even received the previous stimulus checks in 2020.
According to the Treasury Department, roughly 8 million taxpayers didn’t get their direct payments from previously passed stimulus bills. Reports said the IRS was unable to send the payments to individuals who did not file a tax return for 2018 or 2019. However, those who missed the payment can still claim a refundable credit on their 2020 tax return.
“But for taxpayers, this stimulus payment turns into a refundable credit on their 2020 tax return if they didn’t receive it,” Michelle Staebell, a certified public accountant said. “So both the first stimulus and the second stimulus need to be reconciled on the taxpayer’s 2020 tax return, and then how ever much the taxpayer should have received that they haven’t received, will be refunded when they file their tax return.”
In the meantime, the House is set to vote on the massive bill later this week. Biden has said he will immediately sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk.
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