(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Indiana Senator Todd Young says he’d support a plan to send you a check to get you through the upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic.
Young says the amount of money you’ll get remains up in the air, but predicts it’ll be less than the priciest versions, which proposed a $2,500 payment. Something closer to $1,000 is more likely. And Young says the money will come in more than one installment: While he doesn’t expect a quick end to the pandemic, he says it makes sense to reevaluate where things are after the first checks go out. And he says it’ll also enable the IRS to fix any logistical problems that arise with the first round of checks.
The package will also include business support. Young concedes some of that money will probably be
wasted. But he says companies have been investing in their businesses and don’t have the cash to get
through the pandemic on their own. He says that’s especially true of airlines, who he says “may not be sympathetic” but are essential — and right now are seeing their business drop to near zero.
Young says companies should use that infusion of cash to make payroll. He says he’d support a
requirement that businesses receiving money not lay off their workers. And he also supports a suggested income limit on the checks to individuals, so people making a million dollars a year don’t pocket a government check.
Young and Senator Mike Braun both voted for a separate relief bill Wednesday, expanding unemployment and giving workers paid sick leave. Every Indiana House member also voted yes except Republican Jim Banks, who says it’s too broad and too expensive, with the exact price tag still unknown.