Economic Stimulus Plan: The Senate Wants In
Just when you thought the economic stimulus package couldn’t possibly be sweetened any further, the Senate has proposed an additional perk to individuals living off Social Security. While ineligible under the House’s earlier proposed plan, the Senate’s package would reduce the size of the rebate to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples (rather than $600-$1,200 as the original plan had aimed) so as to include social security recipients.
Even if the rebate amount is lowered for working individuals, couples, and businesses, the plan comes in at a whopping $156 billion spread across the original 117 million families included in the House’s plan plus an additional 20 million senior citizens.
The Senate is truly on a mission with their plans, going on to propose extensions of unemployment benefits (13 weeks/ 26-weeks in states with high unemployment rates), additions and extensions to unemployment benefits, putting emphasis on home heating subsidies and grants, increasing food stamp benefits and approving funds for additional public works projects.
