GOP lawmaker says he’d OK $1,400 stimulus checks for people who receive COVID-19 vaccine
Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) says he’d be willing to give $1,400 stimulus checks to people who receive the coronavirus vaccine.
In a Thursday interview with Yahoo Live, Stivers discussed issues Republicans can work on with President Biden, who has called for a $1,400 increase in the $600 direct payments to Americans that Congress approved late last year.
“Even the pandemic response, it’s so important that we build herd immunity as soon as we can. While I am not for giving a $1,400 stimulus check for anything, I’d be willing to sign off on a stimulus check of $1,400 for people who take the vaccine,” Stivers said.
“And I hope the administration will look at that option because we actually buy something with our $1,400 and that’s herd immunity,” he added.
.@RepSteveStivers says he’d support $1,400 stimulus checks if they go to people who get the coronavirus vaccine.
— Jessica Smith (@JessicaASmith8) January 21, 2021
Biden last week unveiled his proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus and relief plan, which includes $1,400 in direct payments to Americans.
Some Republicans have signaled that they wouldn’t be on board with Biden’s proposal in its current form, arguing it would add too much to the national debt which has seen a 50 percent increase from when former President Trump took office.
Stivers said he’d be willing to take on debt “for the right things.”
“The quickest thing we need to do if we really want to help the American people, is get this economy turned back on — get people back to work, get kids back in school, get ourselves some herd immunity, get the vaccine distributed as quick as we can and get the uptake rate up. That’s why I’d be willing to accept a $1,400 stimulus check if people are willing to take the vaccine,” he said.
The U.S. has been working to speed up coronavirus vaccine distribution after a slower-than-expected rollout. Biden has set a goal to administer 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his presidency.
More than 37.9 million vaccine doses have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of which 17.5 million have been administered.
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