ORLANDO, Fla. — This week, President-elect Joe Biden proposed a sweeping $1.9 trillion stimulus plan.
The plan calls for additional direct stimulus payments of $1,400 or $2,000 to those who have not yet received the $600 stimulus checks mailed out at the first of the year.
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“This would be short-term, an adrenaline high, but it will carry some workers, some households through until they can get back into the labor force,” said Sean Snaith, an economist at the University of Central Florida.
The plan also calls for unemployment benefits of $400 a week through September, $179 billion for schools, a phased-in increase to $15 an hour minimum wage, $440 billion for states and local governments, $160 billion for health care, as well as paid family leave and changes to the child tax credit.
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“We need to build up tourism leisure and business, and we have to deal with those businesses that do not survive the lockdowns and those employees, they cannot just go back to their old jobs and need to find other new places to work. And that is a longer process than just reopening and rehiring,” Snaith said.
Lawmakers like Sen. Marco Rubio have expressed an interest in passing the direct stimulus payments as quick as possible.
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However, many of the other parts of the package, including direct payments to states, may run into Republican opposition in the Senate and House.
Cox Media Group
