Trump signals support for more stimulus checks

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is signaling his support for another round of stimulus checks, a move that would provide financial relief to millions of Americans still reeling from the economic hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump has told aides that he is open to a second round of cash payments as part of the next coronavirus economic recovery package, according to news reports.

He also signaled in a television interview on Monday that more stimulus checks may be on the way.

Asked by Scripps Washington correspondent Joe St. George whether he was planning to send another round of checks, Trump said, “Yeah, we are.”

He would not say how much the payments would be, but added: “We will be doing another stimulus package. It’ll be very good. It’ll be very generous.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The White House and congressional leaders are discussing another recovery package to jolt the economy, which has been battered by the coronavirus that already has infected 2.3 million Americans and killed more than 120,000.

A $3 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by the Democratic-controlled House in May would provide a second round of direct payments to Americans and steer billions to financially strapped states.

But Senate Republicans panned the bill, and Trump declared it dead on arrival.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters in Kentucky last week that another coronavirus recovery package could be ready soon, possibly in July.

But whether that package would include more direct cash payments is far from certain.

Several Senate Republicans have suggested they are more inclined to provide financial assistance to cashstrapped states and to boost Social Security benefits.

Trump also has floated the possibility of a payroll tax cut, which he argues would put more Americans back to work.

But congressional Democrats oppose a payroll tax cut, saying it would be of little help to Americans who are unemployed and need assistance now.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed Tuesday that more stimulus checks are on the table. But he stressed that Trump also wants to see a payroll tax cut.

“There’s a lot of discussions going on,” Kudlow said during an interview on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co. “Probably we would want to target those to those folks who lost their jobs and are most in need. … That’s where it’s going.”

“We want this to be a constructive package, and it may be that the tax rebates will be part of that,” Kudlow added. “I don’t want to say for sure. I don’t want to say not. But I know it’s on the table.”

Millions of Americans began receiving stimulus checks of up to $1,200 in mid-April to provide a cash infusion and revive the economy amid the coronavirus crisis.

The payments were part of a $2 trillion package known as the CARES Act, which Trump signed into law in midMarch.

In addition to providing relief checks to Americans, the law boosted unemployment benefits and created a loan program for small businesses.

Under the CARES Act, individuals with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less are eligible for a onetime payment of up to $1,200 ($2,400 for joint tax returns) and $500 for each qualifying child. Those with little or no tax liability also were eligible for $1,200 ($2,400 for joint returns).

The payments start to phase out for those who earn more than $75,000, or $150,000 for a joint return. The payments phase out completely for single filers with incomes exceeding $99,000, $136,500 for head of household filers with one child and $198,000 for joint filers with no children.

More than 159 million checks totaling $267 billion were distributed under the stimulus law, according to the Internal Revenue Service.