[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 130 (Thursday, July 23, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                S. 3841

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased that earlier today the 
Senate passed S. 3841 by unanimous consent. This is a commonsense 
measure that will ensure the $1,200 economic impact payments Congress 
provided to help individuals meet essential needs during these trying 
times don't instead end up in the pockets of creditors and debt 
collectors.
  The CARES Act, which authorized the economic impact payments, sought 
to ensure that individuals in need received 100 percent of the payment 
they are eligible for by generally exempting such payments from 
administrative offset for past due debts owed to Federal or State 
agencies. However, as currently written, this language does not protect 
these payments from bank garnishment or levy by creditors or debt 
collectors.
  The bill we passed today will further the original intent under the 
CARES Act of ensuring that the economic impact payments go to help 
individuals struggling to make ends meet as a result of government-
enforced lockdowns and economic fallout of the current pandemic. It 
does this by extending protections against bank garnishment to economic 
impact payments that are very similar to what is provided to Social 
Security benefits under current law. Moreover, it continues the policy 
under the CARES Act of providing an exception for child support 
enforcement orders to ensure noncustodial parents who owe back child 
support fulfill their legal and moral obligations to their children.
  I would like to thank Senators Brown, Wyden, and Scott of South 
Carolina for working with me on this important bill. I hope that the 
House passes an identical measure as soon as possible so that we can 
get a bill to the President's desk and these protections can be put 
into effect.

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