On Wednesday, Governor Tom Wolf urged state lawmakers to support a proposal that would provide Pennsylvanians stimulus checks for $2,000 to help with rising gas, food, and other expenses.
The governor’s office claims that Wolf’s $500 million PA Opportunity Program will provide Stimulus Checks of up to $2,000 to Pennsylvania households with annual earnings of no more than $80,000.
The proposal would be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion national stimulus program authorized by Congress in 2021 to assist states and local governments manage the continued financial burden of the coronavirus outbreak.
Stimulus Check Being Pushed By Gov Tom Wolf
Wolf put out a $1.7 billion proposal in February to help the state repair the damage the coronavirus pandemic had done to its economy, healthcare system, and social fabric. The idea allocated $500 million for Stimulus Checks to Pennsylvanians. If the $1.7 billion suggestions are accepted, $225 million more will go to small businesses, and $250 million would go to programs that would help grow the critical healthcare workforce.
All proposals must be approved by the Republican-controlled state assembly.
By December 31, 2024, the money must be paid back to the federal government. In April, the Wolf administration announced that Democratic senators and representatives had committed to introducing legislation to support Wolf’s PA Opportunity Program. Families in Pennsylvania making less than $80,000 a year can get direct payments of up to $2,000 under the program, which uses $500 million in ARPA funds.
The Stimulus Check effort aims to help families that are still struggling financially as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as to support them in managing current, growing living costs and paying for pandemic-related expenses. The governor said that the one-time payment will help families who are still recuperating from the outbreak while also dealing with historically high inflation.
