Romney, other lawmakers call for sending $1,000 checks to Americans as part of coronavirus

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Two Democratic congressmen propose sending between $1,000 and $6,000 to every American making less than $65,000 a year

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As Congress considers stimulus measures to help Americans who are facing financial problems because of the coronavirus outbreak, some lawmakers are calling for the government simply to put checks in the mail.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah on Monday said Washington should “immediately send $1,000 checks to each American.”

“Every American adult should immediately receive $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy,” Romney said in a statement. “Congress took similar action during the 2001 and 2008 recessions.”

The Utah lawmaker also called for bridge grants to qualified small businesses, student-loan deferment for recent graduates and other steps.

His proposal comes after two Democratic congressmen — Ohio’s Tim Ryan and California’s Ro Khanna — proposed on Friday that the government send a check worth between $1,000 and $6,000 to every American who earned less than $65,000 last year.

“As more folks are staying in and taking necessary steps to avoid spread of the coronavirus, more Americans will struggle to cover basic needs like rent, groceries, and medicines,” Ryan said in a statement. “We can’t have Americans choosing between losing a paycheck or a job and taking the necessary precautions to keep their families safe.”

The idea of sending cash directly to Americans has gotten increased attention in recent months thanks in part to former Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang. The entrepreneur, who has ended his White House bid, centered his campaign on a universal basic income of $1,000 a month.

Influential Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York tweeted on Monday that Republicans and Democrats “are both coming to the same conclusion: Universal Basic Income is going to have to play a role in helping Americans weather this crisis.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat, both have signaled that they’re working on broader stimulus measures that could aid Americans facing financial problems because of the pandemic as well as provide a boost to small businesses and other sectors of the economy.

Washington also is on track to enact a bill aimed at providing paid sick leave for people affected by the novel coronavirus causing the disease COVID-19 and free testing for the disease, among other measures.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Sunday stressed that it’s the role of Congress and the Trump administration to help businesses or workers who are hurt by the broad shutdown of normal day-to-day activity, as the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to zero.

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