Stimulus checks – AOC & Bernie slam Biden for cutting off $1,400 Covid payments for ‘working-class’ as ‘absurd’
ALEXANDRIA Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders have slammed President Joe Biden for cutting off $1,400 stimulus checks for "working-class" Americans as "absurd."
took to social media on Friday evening to condemn Biden for seemingly trying to give fewer Americans Covid relief money than the Trump administration did.
AOC - the US representative for New York's 14th congressional district - : "If conservative Senate Dems institute a lower income threshold in the next round of checks, that could potentially mean the first round of checks under Trump help more people than the first round under Biden.
"Do we want to do that? No? Then let’s stop playing & just help people."
In a followup tweet, the 31-year-old politician wrote: ";We should preserve what was there and not peg it to outdated 2019 income. People need help!"
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, revealed he understands why people don't want wealthy Americans getting Covid relief payments.
He explained: "What we need to do is have a strong cliff - so it doesn’t kind of spill over to people making $300,000.
"But to say to a worker in Vermont or California or anyplace else that, if you’re making $52,000 a year, you are too rich to get this help, the full benefit, I think that that’s absurd."
Sanders also on Saturday - following the Friday morning passage of 's new in the Senate.
Shortly after, the – on a near party line vote – approved the Senate-passed budget resolution.
The 79-year-old Vermont senator's criticism, along with Ocasio-Cortez' words, also comes as to Americans.
However, the to people on certain incomes.
Sanders on Saturday evening: "Unbelievable. There are some Dems who want to lower the income eligibility for direct payments from $75,000 to $50,000 for individuals, and $150,000 to $100,000 for couples.
"In other words, working class people who got checks from Trump would not get them from Biden. Brilliant!" he said.
Approximately 20 minutes later, Sanders took to his formal senator account to further express his disapproval on the third relief plan – which will likely only help Americans with lower incomes.
"I strongly oppose lowering income eligibility for direct payments from $75,000 to $50,000 for individuals and $150,000 to $100,000 for couples," Sanders wrote.
"In these difficult times, ALL working class people deserve the full $1,400.
"Last I heard, someone making $55,000 a year is not 'rich.'"
For the first two rounds of Covid relief payments, a larger number of individuals were able to receive the stimulus checks.
Taxpayers who earned up to $75,000 and couples who made less than $150,000 were eligible to get the first round of $1,400 checks and the second round of $600 checks.
As per the most recent proposal by Democrats, the third round of stimulus checks – worth $1,400 – would only be sent to taxpayers earning up to $50,000, reported.
Heads of household making a yearly salary of up to $75,000 would also be eligible, as well as married couples who make a total of up to $100,000.
Partial payments may be given to taxpayers who have an income that is somewhat over those numbers.
Tax policy specialist Kyle Pomerleau told the news outlet approximately 71 percent of US taxpayers would receive the max amount of money.
Another 17 percent of Americans would get the partial payments.
The president has vowed "to act fast" to get the third installment of stimulus checks to Americans.
During a press briefing on Friday, Biden told reporters that he would not delay getting the stimulus payments sent out.
"I'm going to act fast," he said. "I'm going to help the American people who are hurting now."
Biden also confirmed that .
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"Here's what I won't do: I'm not cutting the size of the checks," he said. "They're going to be $1,400. Period. That's what the American people were promised."
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plan is to push forward a package similar to Biden's $1.9trillion economic aid proposal – will all signs pointing to the being bill signed into law in the coming weeks.
told reporters on Friday: "Hopefully in a two-week period of time we'll send something over to the Senate .”