Millions of Americans have continued to call for additional stimulus checks as rapid inflation takes its toll on the economy—with analysts suggesting this Thanksgiving holiday could be the most expensive in history.
Nearly 3 million people have signed an online Change.org petition calling on Congress to issue more stimulus checks. The petition—which has been backed by nearly 2.97 million people—urges Congress to approve monthly direct payments of $2,000 per month as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on the U.S. economy.
"This is catastrophic for working families like mine," Stephanie Bonin, the petition's creator, wrote on Change.org. "I'm calling on Congress to support families with a $2,000 payment for adults and a $1,000 payment for kids immediately, and continuing regular checks for the duration of the crisis."
Several other petitions on Change.org have made similar calls to lawmakers and President Joe Biden. Each petition has gotten tens or even hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for additional monthly payments, or at least a fourth stimulus check as consumers continue to see higher and higher prices due to inflation.
CNN reported this week that inflation may lead to the 2021 Thanksgiving being the most expensive in history. The report highlighted that the Department of Agriculture has projected that the average dinner cost is up 5 percent. Meanwhile, the report said the American Farm Bureau Federation predicted that the average cost of dinner may have jumped as much as 14 percent.
According to the consumer price index (CPI), inflation was up 6.2 percent from October 2020 to October 2021, the Bookings Institution reported this month. When looking at the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) deflator, inflation from September 2020 to September 2021 was up 4.4 percent.
In comments on the Change.org petition, people who signed the petition said they did so in the hopes of getting some relief from rising prices this holiday season.
"I'm signing because I'm on a fixed income [and] as a result of high prices this Thanksgiving is a wash for me," a petition signer identified as Alan Mackarevitz wrote. "Christmas is coming and I will not be blessed to purchase gifts for my family and friends."
In March 2020, Congress came together in a bipartisan way to approve substantial COVID-19 relief legislation. That bill approved a round of $1,200 stimulus checks that were sent out to most Americans. Then in December, Congress again approved another bipartisan bill that doled out additional $600 payments to the majority of Americans.
After President Joe Biden took office, Democrats pushed through the American Rescue Plan without any Republican support. That legislation provided additional $1,400 stimulus checks to the majority of Americans. Although dozens of Democratic lawmakers have voiced support for further direct payments—including recurring monthly checks—no legislation is currently moving forward to provide additional stimulus checks at this time.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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