The odds of the federal government passing a fourth round of stimulus checks have gone from slim to almost none.

There had been hope that Democrats' reconciliation bill could include another round of direct payments to Americans. But due to opposition from Democrat Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the bill's price tag has significantly dwindled for infrastructure needs.

Meanwhile, Republicans opposed past efforts by the Biden administration to provide direct payments to Americans. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told a Kentucky local news in the spring that he "can't imagine the economy is going to need a fourth round."

The remaining optimism for direct payment comes from the possibility of economists pushing for more consumer spending amid weak employment figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this month that six million unemployed people are not actively looking for jobs.

On Oct. 10, American investment bank Goldman Sachs cut its U.S. economic growth target to 5.6% for 2021 and to 4% for 2022.

Another reason for optimism is a petition from Change.org to influence lawmakers to provide direct payments during the pandemic. As of Sunday at 6:27 p.m. ET, there are 2,937,623 signatures demanding $2,000 monthly stimulus checks.

The petition, which was started by Denver restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin, asks "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."

There have also been other petitions listed on Change.org that called for slimmed-down versions of Bonin's petition.

Most political pundits have stated that it's a longshot that Capitol Hill would restart the direct-payment conversation anytime soon.

Halloween