A new federal stimulus package passed by both houses of Congress late Monday night included a staggering $25 million earmarked for “democracy” and “gender programs” in Pakistan —

WTF
The dumbfounding budget item was one of many provisions buried within the 5,593-page package, which had a $1.4 trillion spending bill tacked on top.
Meanwhile, qualified U.S. tax paying citizens may be entitled to a stimulus check not to exceed $600 — half of the $1,200 directed toward qualified citizens in the first round of stimulus checks.
Per legislative text for the bill released by the House on December 21 — Single people earning up to $75,000 will receive $600, while married couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $1,200 — exactly half of the amount paid out earlier this year through the CARES Act.
The second round of checks will have the same type of income phaseouts as in the CARES Act, with the stimulus check payments reduced for earnings above $75,000 per single person or $150,000 per married couple.
The amount of payment individuals receive will be reduced by $5 for every $100 of income earned above those thresholds, according to the House Appropriations committee. That's similar to the CARES Act, but fewer higher-earning taxpayers will qualify for the checks under this formula when compared with the earlier bill.
The second stimulus checks will be phased out entirely for single people earning over $87,000 or married couples earning more than $174,000 — compared with the CARES Act's phaseout for single people earning over $99,000 and for couples earning over $198,000.