Senate Democrats split on who should receive $1,400 checks

Senate Democrats are divided on who should get the next round of stimulus payments, setting up a dispute as they try to approve $1,400 checks in the next Covid-19 relief package.

The most recent round of stimulus checks were cut off for people making more than $99,000 a year, or couples that made above $198,000. President Joe Biden recommended the same threshold in his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package.

But some Democrats want to see that income cap lowered.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., wants to "ensure upper-income taxpayers are not eligible" for the checks, according to a nonbinding amendment he and several other Democrats plan to push during votes on budget documents.

But Manchin's text doesn't define "upper income" — a term that has been used by lawmakers to describe a wide range of wealth.