While millions of people are still waiting for the first checks, a second wave of stimulus payments may be on the way.
This piece of legislation is called the “HEROES Act” and would be similar to the first stimulus check with $1,200 for each individual. The big difference is that this time around you’ll also get $1,200 for each child, instead of $500.
In addition to the checks, this stimulus package includes a proposal by Sen. Chuck Schumer that would earmark $67 billion just for New York state, which has been at the epicenter of this pandemic.
In Schumer’s proposal, $34 billion would go to the state, $17 billion to New York City and $15 billion to other municipalities and counties throughout the state.
The House also proposed a similar version.
During his briefing on Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said if New York does not get federal help, it will end up aggravating the problem.
“When you don’t fund the state, who does the state fund? The state funds schools, local governments and hospitals. You really want New York state to turn around and have to cut schools, local governments,” Cuomo said. “You know who local governments are: police, firefighters…You want us to cut hospitals, the nurses and doctors who just got us through this.”
The IRS said it has made 130 million payments so far for a total of $200 million in the first stimulus package. It has more than 20 million more checks to send out.
This new package still needs the approval of House and Senate republicans before it gets sent to the president’s desk.
— WHEC