Chuck Schumer's 'No PR Act' Against Trump Stimulus Check Signature, Letter Draws Social Media Reactions

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced legislation Monday to prevent President Trump’s name from appearing on additional stimulus checks. The No PR Act would prevent federal dollars from financing any material that promotes the names or signatures of Trump or Vice President Mike Pence.

"Trump unfortunately appears to see the pandemic as just another opportunity to promote his own political interests,” Schumer said in a statement. “The No PR Act puts an end to the president’s exploitation of taxpayer money for promotional material that only benefits his re-election campaign.”

The Treasury Department ordered Trump’s name to appear on the checks after a $2 trillion stimulus package was passed in March. Critics claim the move was an attempt by Trump to take sole credit for the payments and promote his presidency.

Schumer also referenced a Washington Post report that Trump’s signatures on the checks, also known as the “Economic Impact Payment,” delayed the mailing process to recipients.

“Delaying the release of stimulus checks so his signature could be added is a waste of time and money,” Schumer added. Trump has denied that the checks would be delayed due to his name appearing on the payments.

Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, tweeted that information technology professionals working for the Internal Revenue Service were racing to implement a programming change to get Trump’s name on the checks. This change would likely cause the checks to be delayed.

The IRS has also been sending letters to recipients of the checks, with the letter having Trump's signature on it.

“How much money was wasted to send people an 'IRS Notice 1444' letter from Donald Trump to tell them that they are getting a stimulus payment, when anyone can see that in their direct deposit or check (with his name on it)?” political consultant Eric Schmeltzer wrote on Twitter.

Some Republican lawmakers have defended Trump’s name on the checks.

“Presidents regularly associate their name with economic stimulus programs,” read a statement from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Millions of Americans have received the $1,200 dollar payments as an effort to boost the economy amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. As of Monday at 11:35 a.m., there are 967,585 cases and 54,931 deaths in the U.S.