The fourth round of stimulus checks became a heated conversation and campaign even while millions of Americans were still receiving the third round of payments. Months later, American advocates and progressive lawmakers haven’t given up on the push for more in stimulus money — including some petitioning for recurring payments until the coronavirus pandemic ends.
It’s no secret the pandemic has crippled economies globally and has caused financial struggles since the world shut down in March 2020. Hence, the U.S. responded with stimulus checks to help aid struggling Americans as the pandemic loomed.
However, with just three rounds of stimulus checks, many argue it hasn’t been enough.
Restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin started a petition early in the pandemic asking the federal government for recurring payments. The Change.org petition stands at over 2.8 million signatures, at the time of this article’s publication.
“My name is Stephanie, and I am one of [the] millions of Americans who fear for my financial future because of this coronavirus crisis,” Bonin said via Change.org. “With businesses and schools closing across the country to control the spread of this virus, many people have already lost their jobs. Others are being forced to stay home.”
She later added, “Our country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasn’t reached many Americans – the true unemployment rate for low-wage workers is estimated at over 20% and many people face large debts from last year for things like utilities, rent, and child care. These are all reasons that checks need to be targeted to people who are still struggling and that Congress needs to learn from this past year. It took nine months for Congress to send a second stimulus check, and just moments to spend it. Moving forward Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met. No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need. Sign to join our movement to get recurring checks to the people.”
The campaign needs 3 million signatures to become of the top petitions on Change.org, just a little over 1,000 signatures to be exact.
Progressive lawmakers have written letters throughout the year addressed to the White House for the fourth or even fifth round of stimulus checks, and/or recurring payments. Recently 80 Democrats signed two letters pushing the president for more stimulus money.
While the White House response to future rounds of checks has been limited, the Biden Administration has pushed the American Jobs Plan through the Senate.
According to the statement: “The American Jobs Plan is an investment in America that will create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China. Public domestic investment as a share of the economy has fallen by more than 40 percent since the 1960s. The American Jobs Plan will invest in America in a way we have not invested since we built the interstate highways and won the Space Race.”
The plan will:
However, the House will not vote on the plan until the Senate pushes through a reconciliation bill.
The Biden Administration is also working on the American Families Plan. According to the White House’s statement: “The American Families Plan is an investment in our children and our families—helping families cover the basic expenses that so many [Americans] struggle with now, lowering health insurance premiums, and continuing the American Rescue Plan’s historic reductions in child poverty. Together, these plans reinvest in the future of the American economy and American workers, and will help us out-compete China and other countries around the world.”
Hence, a fourth or fifth round of stimulus checks or recurring payments is still up in the air. While that may be, the American Rescue Plan has aided Americans will a variety of economic benefits like the child tax credit, stimulus checks for homeowners as well as billions in aid for struggling renters.
READ MORE:
- Fourth stimulus checks, recurring payments? The push continues, but here are the many ways you may get direct relief now
- Stimulus checks for Social Security recipients: Senior Citizens League petitions for $1,400 payments
- Stimulus checks for renters: National ban on evictions has ended, but there are still billions in aid waiting for use
- More stimulus checks for families: Here’s who’s eligible and what you need to know about the additional $1,400 payments
- Biden administration has granted some student loan forgiveness, while progressive lawmakers push for more in cancellation: Here’s who’s eligible so far
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