Support In Congress Grows For Monthly Stimulus Check Bill

A bill to provide monthly payments of $2,000 to Americans within a certain age and income bracket, proposed by Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is gaining steam with a batch of new congressional supporters.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) ... [+] speaks during the Democratic Presidential Committee (DNC) summer meeting on August 23, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Thirteen of the democratic presidential candidates are speaking at the DNC's summer meeting. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Emergency Money for the People Act, introduced on April 14 with 18 Democratic co-sponsors, would provide monthly checks of $2,000 to every American 16 or older making less than $130,000 a year.

The bill would give an additional $500 for each child up to three children and would last for 6 months, with the option to extend it for another 6 months if the crisis persists.

“Rent is due this week. Utilities are coming up. Americans need to cash, this month, next month, and every month after that until this crisis ends,” Khanna tweeted, “Tim Ryan’s and my plan to send $2k monthly checks would give Americans the cash they need to keep our local economies afloat.”

Since it was introduced, the bill has gained an additional 10 Democratic co-sponsors and has been championed online by progressive groups including supporters of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who proposed a similar concept in his universal basic income proposal.

One of the new co-sponsors, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., on Saturday announced her support of the legislation, tweeting “monthly payments of at least $2,000 during this crisis will provide more security for many families in Oregon and across the country.”

The bill is still in its preliminary stages, however. No Senators have weighed in on it, nor has there been a CBO estimate of its cost.