A fourth stimulus relief check is gaining momentum in Congress while many people are still waiting on their third round of COVID relief. President Biden's America Rescue Plan started distributing $1,400 stimulus checks more than two weeks ago to those who have direct deposit accounts registered with the IRS.
Now, 64 Washington lawmakers want relief checks to be recurring, starting with a fourth stimulus while many are still waiting on paper checks from the government.
A group of 11 progressive senators, including Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), earlier this month urged Biden to make stimulus payments and extended unemployment an ongoing thing during the next spending bill.
"We urge you to include recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions in your Build Back Better long-term economic plan," the senators wrote to the president. "This crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
"Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions."
The other senators include Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.).
The senators said that direct payments not only "help keep families out of poverty, but they act as economic stimulus by increasing spending and supporting jobs." The senators said that when the previous two $600 payments were quickly spent, "poverty rose" in America.
They added that there is widespread support of recurring payments from both economic experts and "65 percent of Americans" in one poll.
The senators urged the president be "bold" on his Build Back Better plan.
"As you have said, now is the time for boldness. As you prepare your Build Back Better plan for long-term economic recovery, know that we are ready to work with you in support of recurring direct checks and extended unemployment insurance benefits to support Americans who are still struggling during the pandemic," they wrote.
Recurring payments also has a groundswell of support with House Democrats, spearheaded by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). The group of 53 representatives also wrote a letter to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
"It was very encouraging to see the inclusion of direct cash assistance in your current economic rescue plan. However it is clear that during this unprecedented time in our nation's history that we must take additional unprecedented action," the group wrote.
Biden has not shown support of further payments, and the last stimulus package was passed without Republican support.
Democrats used a process called reconciliation to pass the latest round of $1,400 checks, but that budget process can only be used once every fiscal year. The next fiscal year starts Oct. 1, and cases are going down while the number of vaccinations are on the rise.
With Democrats having a majority in both chambers of Congress, the movement that's already started for a fourth payment—and recurring thereafter—could put pressure on Biden to side with fellow Democrats.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.
TheMightyCatatafish on March 29th, 2021 at 03:32 UTC »
I’d like my third, pls.
Phooferbar on March 29th, 2021 at 00:53 UTC »
With there being zero Republican support for the last one, reconciliation of the table, and the often couple of Democrat nays, I really don't see this happening unless Republican voters put pressure on their officials. They just need a movement of voters asking their own "Why won't you help us when the Democrats will?"
Mr_frumpish on March 29th, 2021 at 00:52 UTC »
Let's just keep doing this forever and call it universal basic income.