WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2020) Republican and Democratic senators introduced legislation to protect COVID-19 relief payments from being seized by debt-collectors, US Senator Sherrod Brown announced in a press release on Friday.
"Congress came together to pass the CARES Act, which provided money to help working families pay for food, medicine, and other basic necessities- it's not for debt collectors. Our bill will protect these funds and ensure working families receive the help they need," Brown said.
While the CARES Act does protect relief payments, such as the $1,200 payments to individuals plus $500 for each child, from being garnished by the Internal Revenue Service to pay back taxes, or from being seized by other government agencies, it lacks any provision protecting the aid from private debt collectors, Brown said.
In addition to Brown, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, the bill was sponsored by Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, a Republican, and the Finance Committee's ranking Democrat Ron Wyden, as well as Republican Senator Tim Scott, according to the release.
