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Rep Anna Eshoo

Eshoo, Thompson Laud President for Maintaining Income Threshold for Next Round of Stimulus Payments

February 8, 2021

Cite Importance of Payments for People in High Cost of Living Areas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S.Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-18) and U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) thanked the President and House leadership for maintaining the income thresholds for those who qualify for the next round of Economic Impact Payments. Last week, they wrote to President Biden along with 50 members of Congress, asking him to keep the previous thresholds, citing financial hardship for people in high cost of living areas like their districts if income levels were lowered.

"Working families in high-cost regions like the Bay Area are counting on the next round of Economic Impact Payments and should not be left behind. Lower income thresholds would have excluded teachers, local business owners and frontline workers in my district who are struggling like millions of others," said Eshoo. "I'm very grateful that President Biden took our concerns into account and maintained the income thresholds to include those in my district, and around the country, who've been hurt by this crisis. I'm committed to passing this legislation quickly and getting my community the help they so urgently need."

"People in our district are hurting financially because of the Coronavirus pandemic and can't afford to lose out on the next round of Economic Impact Payments, just because they are in a high cost of living area like ours," said Thompson. "That's why Representative Eshoo and I wrote to the President asking him not to lower the threshold for those who qualify for the next round of checks and why we are thankful he maintained that threshold in the legislation that was just released. I'll work to ensure this stays the same throughout the markup and passage of this legislation and to get this aid to people in our district who urgently need it."

Following media reports that efforts were underway to lower the income threshold for people to receive the next round of Economic Impact Payments, Thompson and Eshoo wrote to President Biden on February 5 asking him to maintain income thresholds of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples. These levels were originally set in the bipartisan CARES Act and in the end-of-year relief package that became law in December 2020.

The letter read in part:

"Lower income thresholds would leave behind struggling individuals and families in regions where the costs are very high. Although the median incomes of households in our districts are above average, so is the cost of living, including basic necessities like housing, transportation and food. Our economic relief efforts need to recognize this reality and maintain support for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet."

You can read the full letter here.