Fresh hope more stimulus checks and aid payments for families will be included in new $3.5 trillion package

AMERICANS are growing more hopeful that another round of stimulus checks and payments targeted at families will be included as part of a $3.5trillion aid package.

The reconciliation bill, unveiled by Sen. Bernie Sanders, includes plans to make changes to the child tax credit permanent and to send more direct payments to cash-strapped families.

Under the proposals, families would pay no more than seven percent of their income for childcare expenses, according to AS.

A paid leave program for families would also be created.

It comes after proposals such as paid leave and free community college education were not included in the infrastructure bill.

Critics of the infrastructure bill said it contained a “lack of progressive policies”.

Sanders told PBS last week: “there are a lot of people in our country, working-class people, who are losing faith in the ability of government to address their needs. And what we are doing is just that.

“Can you imagine in this country where you have free pre-K for every working family in America?

"We're going to have — end the disgrace of the United States being the only major country on Earth not to have paid family and medical leave.”

Sanders described the infrastructure bill as the “most consequential” piece of legislation for American families.

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GOP Senators voted down the bill in the bid that they would get more time to negotiate. No future votes have yet been announced.

Sanders’ reconciliation bill raises some hope that lawmakers may introduce a fourth round of stimulus checks.

This is in spite of the fact that the bill didn't contain any reference to stimulus payments.

The optimism comes as Americans continue to be tricked online about a potential fourth round of checks.

A slew of posts has been uploaded onto social media, claiming that checks worth up to $2,500 had been approved by Congress and Americans would start receiving them on July 30.

One post said: "And it passed for 15 minutes ago. WE GET ANOTHER STIMULUS CHECK FOR $2500 at July 30, 2021. We did it!!!

STIMULUS HOAX

"The article below tells u what you need to do to receive it quickly and how to track it. I already filled out my form."

The posts included a link that led through to an image of an ape holding up its middle finger.

Lawmakers continue to push for recurring payments to help struggling families.

More than 20 Senate Democrats joined the call for recurring payments – just two weeks after Joe Biden signed the $1.9trillion stimulus package into law.

The lawmakers said: "Almost 6 in 10 people say the $1,400 payments set to be included in the rescue package will last them less than three months."

They also argued that additional payments could help lift more than 18 million Americans up above the poverty line.

In January, Rep. Ilhan Omar and other 52 House Democrats asked Biden to push for recurring stimulus payments.

And, Americans across the country have called on the White House to introduce checks worth up to $2,000.

More than three million people have signed a petition demanding monthly $2,000 payments.

The petition was started by Colorado restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin and first posted on Change.org last year.

It has been four months since Congress signed the America Rescue Plan into law, providing millions of eligible Americans with checks of up to $1,400.

Single Americans earning $75,000 or less were eligible to claim for the amount in full.

Couples that file joint tax returns could claim the $1,400 check if their combined income totaled $150,000 or less, according to Yahoo Money.