Congress is working to approve more COVID-19 relief before unemployment insurance runs out in March while Senate Banking Committee continues hearings on recovery for small businesses.
2/22/2021 9:30
The U.S. House of Representatives is reviewing President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package this week, which proposes $1,400 checks for individuals earning less than $75,000 a year and $400 in weekly supplemental unemployment insurance, Bloomberg reports.
The end goal is to approve the stimulus package before the current unemployment insurance benefits run out March 14.
The House Budget Committee met Monday, Feb. 22, to consolidate all the components of the stimulus package, which also includes a minimum wage increase and funding to reopen schools.
The amount of funding in the bill and income levels for recipients of the stimulus checks were the backdrop of a Senate Banking Committee hearing Feb. 18, “The Coronavirus Crisis: Paving the Way to an Equitable Recovery.”
Witnesses and committee members discussed the details of the $1.9 trillion bill as well as the impact of past relief measures and the COVID-19 pandemic overall on small businesses.
The committee will continue the discussion in a hearing at 9:30 a.m. EST Feb. 25, “The Coronavirus Crisis: Next Steps for Rebuilding Main Street.”
The bill is expected to move along party lines through the appropriations process because there are not enough votes to move it through regular order due to the $1.9 trillion cost.
As ACA International has outlined in several updates, since the bill is moving through appropriations, the legislation must be fiscal in nature. ACA is not aware of any sections directly related to debt collection. However, several parts of the legislation, including the minimum wage increase, will impact business operations in some parts of the country.
ACA will continue its engagement with Congress about COVID-19 related legislation and other issues impacting the industry.