Fourth Stimulus Check Possible As More Democrats Ask Biden For Recurring Payments

A fourth round of stimulus checks could be coming as more members of the U.S. Congress this week renewed a push for more relief payments. This comes as the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A group of seven Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to add monthly checks and enhanced unemployment benefits to his American Families Plan.

“In the American Families Plan, you pledged “to work with Congress to automatically adjust the length and amount of UI benefits unemployed workers receive depending on economic conditions,” the letter read. “Tying recurring direct payments and automatic UI extensions to economic conditions would do just that. We urge you to include both in the American Families Plan and are ready to work with enact this critical relief into law.”

The letter did not specify how much the recurring stimulus payments should be or how the eligibility requirements would be.

More than 80 Congressional Democrats have expressed support for more stimulus payments to Americans. Supporters of another round of checks include Vice President Kamala Harris, who, as a senator, sponsored a bill for recurring payments last year.

So far, over 2 million people have signed an online petition for recurring payments, and web searches continue for the status of a fourth stimulus check.

The Monday letter was signed by Reps. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif.; Gwen Moore, D-Wis.; Donald S. Beyer Jr., D-Va.; Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.; Judy Chu, D-Calif.; Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.; and Bradley S. Scheider, D-Ill. This is the third letter that has been sent to Biden calling for recurring payments since he took office.

“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. 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,” a March letter from a group of 21 Democrats read.

The proposed American Families Plan is a $1.8 trillion bill that would provide funding for education, child care, and paid family leave. It will also include funding to make two years of community college tuition free for adults and new high school graduates.