Based on the people that have read these posts here in the past, I know that there are many, many people around the US waiting to see what will happen about a second stimulus check. After all, both Democrats and Republicans want to get the same amount out to people, so what is the hold up?
What is Going on with a Second Stimulus Package
Both Sides Have Left – No Checks in August
Here is where things currently sit – both the Senate and the House have gone home on a recess. This means that there will not be a stimulus check arriving in August.
However, even though both houses have left Washington, DC, negotiations will continue. The problem right now is that both sides are still $1 trillion a part from each other. That’s right, $1 TRILLION. To put it into perspective, the last stimulus package was $2.2 trillion and the current proposal from the Republicans is only $1 trillion so that is a ton of money to have as a ditch separating the agreement.
The Senate returns to Washington September 8 and the House on September 14. The House could return earlier if there is an agreement but it is not likely for an agreement and vote to happen before September 8.
But, What About the Stimulus Money for Americans?
While businesses – like airlines – are lobbying hard for another cut at a stimulus package, there are a lot of Americans that are currently looking for assistance from another package as well. Both the House and the Senate (and the White House) agree on a basic idea of the amount – it would be similar to last time with $1,200 for each individual who files (or double that for those that file jointly) and $500 per dependent (with no age cap).
The dependent money is a little different as the House wants to see that amount at $1,200 per dependent as well with a cap at $6,000 per family.
The good thing is that both sides want all dependents to be included this time. The first stimulus package left out any dependents age 17 or older and that left a lot of people without any money at all.
Part of the problem right now is that the House wants to more broadly define who gets the money – as in they want it to go to immigrants who are not here legally and they want it to be retroactive. That is a huge chunk of money and it is something that the Senate and White House will not budge on.
But, that is the main sticking point as far as it concerns the actual $1,200 check for people. The whole stimulus package is getting held up on the rest of the money. While the White House and Senate would like to proceed with the stimulus money for Americans in one bill and then carry on negotiations later for the things that are not agreed on, the House refuses because they know they will lose any leverage if this happens.
What Would a Second Stimulus Check Look Like and When Would it Arrive?
Many people are doubtful that any package will pass now. But, the fact is that both sides know there are a lot of Americans who are without jobs or who have been impacted significantly by the coronavirus affect and neither side wants angry Americans going into the election.
So, I think they will get something across the line and it will likely look like what was talked about last month. Check out the calculator below to see what you would end up with under the proposal that is most likely to pass.
As far as when it will arrive? It would not arrive until September at the earliest but the good news is that the IRS has done this already – they can get payments out much quicker this time. So, if it passes in the next few weeks, people should see the money by the end of September in their bank accounts.
Bottom Line
I did my best to leave the political points out of this and to make it more of a top down look at where things currently sit. I know many of my regular readers do not care about this but I also know that I have had many, many new readers that have been interested in this and have sent me thousands of messages, comments, and e-mails about it. So, hopefully this status update helps a bit.
