So a couple with two children could receive up to $5,600. Unlike prior rounds, families will now receive the additional money for adult dependents over the age of 17.
The income thresholds will be based on a taxpayer's most recent return. If they've already filed a 2020 return by the time the payment is sent, the IRS will base eligibility on their 2020 adjusted gross income. If not, it will be based on the 2019 return or the information submitted through an online portal set up last year for people who don't usually file tax returns.
Use our calculator below to see what you can expect to get:
2:40 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
Congress just passed Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan. Here's what happens next.
From CNN's Clare Foran, Ryan Nobles, Katie Lobosco and Tami Luhby
House TV
The House just voted to approve the Covid-19 relief bill, paving the way for President Biden to sign his top legislative priority into law.
House Democrats passed the legislation on a party line vote of 220-211. No Republicans voted in favor. One Democrat voted against the bill: Rep. Jared Golden of Maine.
White te House press secretary Jen Psaki said today that Biden will sign the bill on Friday afternoon at the White House.
Passage of the bill marks the first major legislative achievement of the new administration and a Congress that is now under full Democratic control, with narrow majorities in the House and Senate.
An expansion of the child tax credit of up to $3,600 per child
$350 billion in state and local aid, as well as billions of dollars for K-12 schools to help students return to the classroom, to assist small businesses hard-hit by the pandemic and for vaccine research, development and distribution.
Extends a 15% increase in food stamp benefits through September
Helps low-income households cover rent
What happens next: Psaki said, “The bill text will be rechecked, printed, and signed by the appropriate leaders in the House and Senate." The House clerks will then deliver the bill to the White House for the President's signature.
After Biden signs the bill, the turnaround time — between it being a more than 600-page bill and money in people's pockets — could be relatively quick.
People could start seeing the $1,400 stimulus payments hit their bank accounts within days of Biden signing the bill.
The payments do not all go out at once. Those whose bank information is on file with the IRS would likely get the money first, because it would be directly deposited into their accounts. Others may receive paper checks or prepaid debit cards in the ma
Watch Gloria Borger's analysis below:
1:58 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
Biden to appoint someone to lead implementation of American Rescue Plan
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden plans to appoint someone to lead the implementation of his coronavirus relief legislation, similar to the role he played in 2009.
“We are also looking ahead to implementation,” Psaki said during Wednesday’s news briefing, telling reporters about Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent speech on aid to state and local governments. “They are looking for ways to maximize, of course, the impact of every dollar.”
As the House takes a final vote on the package right now, Psaki said the President knows that the passage and signing of the bill is just the beginning.
“That’s exactly what the President did when he served as the point person on the implementation of the (American) Recovery (and Reinvestment) Act in 2009, partnering with mayors, governors and other officials to get help to them quickly and a way to get waste, fraud and abuse to two tenths of 1%,” she said.
“I don’t have any personnel announcements today but that will certainly be part of our path moving forward,” Psaki added.
2:17 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
Democrat from Maine votes against Covid relief bill
From CNN's Ryan Nobles
Rep. Jared Golden is seen during a hearing in the Rayburn Building on March 6, 2019. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images
Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is the first and likely only Democrat to vote "no" on the Covid-19 relief package. This was expected.
Golden released a statement on his decision:
"While the Senate made modest changes to the legislation, some of those changes undermined parts of the bill I do support, and others were insufficient to address my concerns with the overall size and scope of the bill. Although I support the Senate’s effort to reduce the number of wealthier households that will receive stimulus checks, they did not go far enough, and other changes — like removing the minimum wage increase or providing a lower unemployment benefit — undermined policies that I support. I voted for a $15 minimum wage in the last Congress, and given the opportunity, I intend to do so again"
He continued: "I know there are people who will continue to need assistance getting through the final stages of this pandemic, which is why I have argued that Congress should have addressed their needs with a targeted bill that extends unemployment benefits, funds vaccine distribution, and increases investments in our public health infrastructure."
2:06 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
Biden plans to sign the Covid-19 relief bill into law Friday afternoon at the White House
From CNN's Betsy Klein
President Joe Biden speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 8. Patrick Semansky/AP
President Biden will sign the $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill, his first major legislative victory, into law on Friday at the White House.
The House is currently voting on the package, where it is expected to be approved.
“The President will sign the bill at the White House on Friday afternoon,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.
Once passed by the House, Psaki said, “The bill text will be rechecked, printed, and signed by the appropriate leaders in the House and Senate. The House clerks will then deliver it to the White House for the President’s signature,” with that delivery expected “sometime tomorrow.”
The administration, Psaki noted, is “moving full speed ahead on the implementation bill,” citing urgency for the American people.
1:40 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
Pelosi: Lawmakers have a decision of "tremendous consequence" to make during vote
From CNN's Elise Hammond
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks on the House floor in Washington, DC, on March 10. House TV
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the vote on the Covid-19 bill is of "tremendous consequence," describing the legislation as one of the most "transformative" bills she has seen during her time in Congress.
"Today we have a decision to make of tremendous, tremendous consequence," she said on the House floor as she closed out the debate over the bill on Wednesday. "A decision that will make a difference for millions of Americans, saving lives and livelihoods."
The House is taking a final vote now on the Covid-19 relief bill. Pelosi said she hopes the package is passed in a bipartisan way, to reflect the bipartisan support she says the package has across the country.
The Democratic leader added that, above all, the bill is about American children – ensuring schools are able to open safely, providing economic and food security for families and rental assistance and childcare.
"The Biden American Rescue Plan is about the children. Their health, their education, the economic security of their families," she said.
Pelosi said the legislation puts money in the pocket of the American people and gives a tax credit to lift children out of poverty.
"How do you say no to lifting children out of poverty?" she said.
"Everything that I mentioned here is related to the coronavirus," she added.
1:28 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
NOW: The House is voting on final passage of the Covid-19 relief bill
From CNN's Clare Foran, Katie Lobosco and Tami Luhby
House TV
The House is now voting on the Covid-19 relief bill. This is the final legislative step before the package goes to the White House for President Biden to sign it.
We expect the vote to take about 45 minutes, and lawmakers will vote in groups and not all members will be on the House floor at once.
The legislation is on track to receive final approval in the chamber after the Senate made a series of revisions to the bill and passed it over the weekend.
An expansion of the child tax credit of up to $3,600 per child
$350 billion in state and local aid, as well as billions of dollars for K-12 schools to help students return to the classroom, to assist small businesses hard-hit by the pandemic and for vaccine research, development and distribution
Extends a 15% increase in food stamp benefits through September
Helps low-income households cover rent
Makes federal premium subsidies for Affordable Care Act policies more generous and provides $8.5 billion to rural hospitals and health care providers
Democrats say more government action is needed to shore up the economy, aid in the recovery and deliver relief to Americans who continue to be hurt by the pandemic.
Republicans, however, have criticized the plan as a partisan wish list of liberal agenda items that is not sufficiently targeted, and have so far put up a united front in opposition.
The House is gearing up to vote soon. Here's what the Covid-19 relief bill could mean for you.
From CNN's Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco
The Covid-19 relief bill is expected to get final approval soon in the House after the Senate made a series of revisions to the bill and passed it on Saturday. Once the bill is passed, it will then go to the White House to be signed.
President Biden and congressional Democrats argue that another massive bill is necessary to assist both people in need and the nation at large.
If your family makes less than $160,000 a year: The bill would provide direct payments worth up to $1,400 per person to families earning less than $160,000 a year and individuals earning less than $80,000 a year. The payments will phase out faster than they would have under the House version of the bill, which set the income caps at $200,000 for couples and $100,000 for individuals. That means that not everyone who was eligible for a check earlier will receive one now — but for those who do qualify, the new payments will top up the $600 checks approved in December, bringing recipients to a total of $2,000 apiece.
If you are unemployed: The jobless would receive a $300 weekly federal boost to unemployment benefits and would get those payments through September, under a last-minute change in the Senate. The deal also calls for extending two key pandemic jobless benefits programs for the same period and making the first $10,200 of unemployment payments tax-free. This is a significant difference from the House bill, which would provide a $400 weekly enhancement through Aug. 29 and continue the two pandemic programs for the same period.
If you are hungry: Under both the Senate and House bills, food stamp recipients would see a 15% increase in benefits continue through September, instead of having it expire at the end of June. And families whose children's schools are closed may be able to receive Pandemic-EBT benefits through the summer if their state opts to continue it.
If you're behind on your rent or mortgage: Both bills would send roughly $20 billion to state and local governments to help low-income households cover back rent, rent assistance and utility bills.
If you have children: Most families with minor children could claim a larger child tax credit for 2021, under a provision contained in both the Senate and House bills. Qualifying families could receive a child tax credit of $3,600 for each child under 6 and $3,000 for each one under age 18, up from the current credit of up to $2,000 per child under age 17.
If you own a small business: The bills would provide $15 billion to the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan program, which provides long-term, low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration. Severely impacted small businesses with fewer than 10 workers will be given priority for some of the money.
If you're sick: If you're sick, quarantining or caring for an ill loved one or a child whose school is closed, the bills may provide your employer an incentive to offer paid sick and family leave. Unlike Biden's original proposal, the House and Senate bills would not require employers to offer the benefit. But they do continue to provide tax credits to employers who voluntarily choose to offer the benefit through Oct. 1.
Who is out of luck? Workers being paid at or just above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour will not see a boost in pay. The Senate parliamentarian ruled in late February that increasing the hourly threshold to $15 does not meet a strict set of guidelines needed to move forward in the reconciliation process, which would allow Senate Democrats to pass the relief bill with a simple majority and no Republican votes.
Undocumented immigrants who don't have Social Security numbers remain ineligible for the stimulus check payments. But their spouses and children are eligible as long as they have Social Security numbers. They were excluded from the first round.
12:56 p.m. ET, March 10, 2021
House Majority Leader: "I expect zero Republicans to vote for this bill"
From CNN's Kristin Wilson
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer speaks on the House floor in Washington, DC, on March 10. House TV
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer – breaking a small House rule to address his remarks to the Chair and not to other members – said that he doesn’t expect any of the Republicans to join Democrats in passing the Covid-19 relief bill.
“I expect zero of you to vote for this,” he said, before correcting himself. “Excuse me, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I expect zero Republicans to vote for this bill.”
Hoyer said only one thing has changed that would alter the bipartisan support garnered by earlier relief bills – the party of the man in the White House.
During the ongoing debate, Republicans have been saying the bill is an expensive, partisan wish list for Democrats.
