Stimulus check 2 could be passed while Senate is on recess — here's how

second stimulus check
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With a stalemate hampering stimulus bill negotiations, lawmakers are heading back to their home districts. They will only return before September if there's a finalized deal to vote on, allowing stimulus check 2 to move forward during the current Senate recess. 

Democrats and White House representatives were in ongoing talks to finalize the next stimulus package and had hoped to agree on a bill before lawmakers began their August vacation. However, negotiations ceased at the end of last week with the two sides “miles apart” from a solution. 

The Senate, whose recess was originally scheduled to begin on Aug. 10, finally adjourned on Thursday. Senators will return home for the rest of the month unless they're called back for a vote on a stimulus bill. The Senate’s next session begins on Sept. 8. Meanwhile, House members have been on break since the end of July and will not be back in session in Washington until Sept. 14. 

Lawmakers won’t be called in before then automatically, however. 

“If the Speaker of the House and the minority leader of the Senate decide to finally let another package move forward, it would take bipartisan consent to meet for legislative business sooner than scheduled,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Negotiators say they have no plans to begin talks again in the coming weeks, so while lawmakers could be asked to return to vote on agreement, it’s not likely. 

When would you get stimulus check 2? 

Stimulus check 2 is a near-guarantee with a second stimulus bill, as lawmakers and administration officials agree on the need to send another direct payment to Americans.

Once a deal is reached, it won’t take long for the stimulus check 2 date to come into focus—with the infrastructure set up to process CARES Act checks, the IRS could reportedly turn payments around in 1–2 weeks

How much would you get with second stimulus check?

Though there are several proposals for stimulus check 2, the most likely scenario is another round of $1,200 payments to those who received benefits under the CARES Act: single individuals making less than $75,000 per year and married individuals making less than $150,000 per year, with prorated benefits for taxpayers earning up to $99,000 and $198,000 respectively. 

The difference between proposals is primarily in how much families would receive for dependents. Lawmakers generally agree that adult dependents over age 16 should be eligible for some relief. The House’s HEROES Act would provide $1,200 per dependent, up to $6,000 per family, while the Senate’s HEALS Act offers $500 per dependent with no cap. 

A third proposal, from another group of Senate Republicans, would send $1,000 to individuals and their dependents and lower the income eligibility cap. This idea would reduce benefits for individuals but potentially increase them for families. 

Emily Long

Emily Long is a Utah-based freelance writer who covers consumer technology, privacy and personal finance for Tom's Guide. She has been reporting and writing for nearly 10 years, and her work has appeared in Wirecutter, Lifehacker, NBC BETTER and CN Traveler, among others. When she's not working, you can find her trail running, teaching and practicing yoga, or studying for grad school — all fueled by coffee, obviously.