In March, Congress approved $1,200 stimulus payments for individuals that have since been sent to as many as 159 million American households. The size of the benefit diminished or disappeared entirely for those who earned more than $75,000 in 2019.

As Congress begins to take up the next stimulus package, congressional Republicans and White House officials are now weighing proposals to drop that number below $75,000, according to four people aware of internal discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The exact number they will seek is unclear as talks are fluid. One person cautioned Republicans may ultimately revive the original proposal due to the difficult administrative challenges created by trying to narrowly target the checks.

At two separate events this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the payments should be sent out primarily to help those earning under $40,000, but it was not clear if he was suggesting that would be the new cap. An aide to McConnell declined to comment. Several Senate Republicans have expressed opposition to sending out another round of checks altogether, while others, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), have said they would support doing so if targeted for “the people who are hurting the most.”