Business & Economy

On The Money: Biden commits to $1,400 checks, but open to eligibility limits | House approves budget resolution for COVID-19 package | McConnell seeks to inflict political pain on budget votes

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THE BIG DEAL—Biden commits to $1,400 checks, but open to eligibility limits: President Biden said during a call with House Democrats on Wednesday that he is committed to boosting stimulus checks to $2,000 by giving most Americans another $1,400 in direct payments in a new round of coronavirus relief.

However, Biden did crack the door open to tightening income restrictions on which Americans are eligible to receive the checks. 

“We can’t walk away from an additional $1,400 in direct checks that we proposed because the people need them,” Biden told Democrats, according to a source on the call.

“We can better target them,” he said, “but I’m not going to start my administration by breaking a promise to the American people.”

What it means: White House press secretary Jen Psaki clarified later Wednesday that Biden is open to further limiting the income level of who receives a stimulus check, not the total amount of the check.

“Further targeting means not the size of the check, it means the income level of people who receive the check and that’s something that has been under discussion. There hasn’t been a conclusion but certainly he’s open to having that discussion,” Psaki told reporters at an afternoon briefing.  

The Hill’s Scott Wong has more here.

Biden calls for going big, unity: Biden also called on Democrats to go big and stick together as they sell his nearly $2 trillion stimulus plan to the American people, and he made clear that shifting toward the $618 billion plan offered by 10 GOP senators was “not in the cards.”

“I’ll have your back. I ask that you have mine,” Biden said.

Biden also emphasized Democrats marching together on aid during a later conversation at the White House with top Democratic Senators.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday said Democrats are “united” about going big on coronavirus relief after the summit.

“There’s agreement, universal agreement. We must go big and bold,” Schumer told reporters.

The Hill’s Jordain Carney has more on the White House meeting here, and we’ve got more on the stimulus push below.

LEADING THE DAY

House approves budget resolution for COVID-19 package: The House on Wednesday approved a budget resolution in a 218-212 vote that would allow Congress to pass a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill without Republican support.

“There will be plenty of opportunities for my colleagues across the aisle to engage in this process and offer amendments. But we cannot afford to slow down our response to these urgent crises while Republicans decide if they want to help or not,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). The Hill’s Niv Elis has more here.

McConnell seeks to inflict political pain on budget votes: While Republicans may not sign onto the Democratic relief bill, they’ve pledged to make the process politically taxing for their opposition.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday announced that Republicans will force Democrats to take tough votes on issues ranging from stimulus checks for illegal immigrants to higher taxes on small businesses when the Senate moves a budget resolution this week.

How it works: 

“We’ll be getting senators on the record about whether taxpayers should fund checks for illegal immigrants … whether Democrats should raise taxes on small businesses in the midst of this historic crisis … and whether generous federal funding should pour into school districts where the unions refuse to let schools open,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

“This is just a small taste,” he added.

Alexander Bolton gives us a preview here.

ON TAP TOMORROW:

GOOD TO KNOW

ODDS AND ENDS