As the deadline approaches for Congress to approve a COVID-19 relief package, Congressman Fred Upton is pushing for the roughly $900 billion compromise plan that’s emerged in recent days. Upton said in a Facebook Live update on Thursday afternoon the current plan includes direct stimulus payments.
“You’ll remember in the spring we did $1,200 checks, these are $600 checks,” Upton said. “[We] may bring that income level down to get that amount, that check, up to an earned income of about $75,000. That $75,000 may drop a little bit just to make sure there’s enough money for $600 checks.”
Upton said the plan will include advance Medicare payments to hospitals, Paycheck Protection Program dollars for businesses, and $10 billion to expand broadband access.
“We have to get broadband. That is now part of living, and we have $10 billion in the bill for this.”
Shortly after saying that, Upton’s internet cut out. He was joined for the update by Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, who said the package could be viewed as a bridge to better times in the spring. When Upton came back, he said he thinks the package could win passage, although there will always be members of Congress who vote no because the plan isn’t perfect.
