Fourth Stimulus Check: Another Round of Direct Payments Depends on Congress; Lawmakers Urge for More

While Americans are enjoying the third wave of stimulus payments, there are indications that a fourth stimulus check may be approaching. According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, another batch of "direct payments" is dependent on Congress.

"We'll see what members of Congress propose, but those [payments] aren't free," said Psaki. Biden's administration is also working in easing the suffering of the pandemic's aftermath, said the secretary.

She praised the "historic extension" of the Child Tax Credit, which provides significant relief to families with children by allowing them to claim thousands of dollars in write-offs for younger and older children. However, there may be more work to be done. MPs signed two letters, one in January and the other in March, urging the federal financial faucet to remain open until the pandemic ended.

Letters were sent to Biden admin, urging for more stimulus check

According to the publication, 20 Democratic senators signed a similar letter in March. The third round of stimulus checks is part of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, which has set aside $385 billion out of $1.9 trillion to assist the financial loss caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Per The Sun, the most recent payment round for eligible recipients was $1,400. This increases from the first two packages, which started at $600 and increased to $1,200.

While more money is being deposited into American bank accounts to cover basic requirements and overheads, many Americans are still waiting for their first two stimulus checks from Uncle Sam. One method to benefit from the missing relief payments is to claim the $600 or $1,200 stimulus payments as a tax credit.

According to Yahoo! Finance, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar wrote a letter signed by dozens of fellow Congress members and sent to President Biden in January. "The American people are counting on us to deliver transformative change, and we need to meet the moment by delivering monthly payments of $2,000."

Meanwhile, Biden said on Monday that further assistance would be provided to the thousands of cash-strapped restaurants that were forced to close due to mandatory shutdown. Biden's efforts to bolster a significant portion of the American population come as he tries to get both of his $3 trillion in relief packages passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress.

The President has proposed the American Jobs Plan, which will update American infrastructure, provide more affordable housing, and increase rural internet capacity. The American Families Plan contains provisions for child tax credits, increased government funding for education and childcare, and paid family and medical leave.

These lawmakers want more direct payments

While many Americans hope for a fourth stimulus check, some legislators are already discussing a fifth. Members of a key congressional committee are urging the federal government to provide new rounds of financial assistance to families still struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With the third round of $1,400 stimulus checks completed, seven Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee addressed a letter to President Joe Biden late last week calling for a fourth and fifth wave of direct payments to help individuals with housing, food, and other expenses. The committee is in charge of budgeting and taxation in the government. The letter's signatories account for around 15 percent of the committee's members.

The May 17 letter does not specify a monetary amount, but it does indicate the prospect of two future rounds of relief. According to the letter, "a fourth and fifth check might keep an extra 12 million people out of poverty. Direct payments, when combined with the impact of the American Recovery Plan, may lower the number of people living in poverty in 2021 from 44 million to 16 million," Fox59 reported.

Over 80 Democratic members have signed previous congressional letters requesting greater relief. A public petition on the matter has gathered more than 2 million signatures on change.org.