STIMULUS checks were signed off today, but Americans are already hoping for a fourth Covid relief payment.
President Joe Biden signed his landmark stimulus bill into law on Thursday afternoon after saying “voices were heard” yesterday.
However, days before the bill was even signed, Democrats wrote a letter to Biden asking for recurring stimulus checks to be sent out while the Covid pandemic continues.
It was signed by Senators Ron Wyden, Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alex Padilla, Cory Booker, Michael Bennet, Ed Markey, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Tammy Baldwin.
“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,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions,” they said.
The senators also insisted that the checks are “crucial for supporting struggling families who aren’t reached by unemployment insurance.”
In a tweet last month, Representative Ilhan Omar said: “We need $2,000 recurring checks until the end of the pandemic. I joined @TimRyan, @MichaelDTubbs, Stephanie Bonin, and Natalie Foster to push for $2,000 recurring payments for Americans until the economy is fully recovered.”
However, a fourth round, or even recurring amounts, of stimulus checks might not come easily due to backlash that arose from the $1.9trillion relief package.
House and Senate Republicans had tried to stop Joe Biden’s bill from being passed.
House GOP leader Steve Scalise said: “It’s not focused on COVID relief. It’s focused on pushing more of the far-left agenda.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene also made a “motion to adjourn” to stop Congress from passing the relief bill on Wednesday morning.
She labeled the package as a “massive woke progressive Democrat wish list.”
“The GOP has messaged against this ridiculous bill. We should do everything to stop it. Pay attention if Rs vote to adjourn. Or with the Dems,” she tweeted.
In the House, Greene officially tried to file her motion to adjourn the vote.
“This Congress is ramming through unbelievable things at a rapid pace,” she said. “This must be stopped.”
“We have to give pause and consideration to what we’re doing. This is a waste of money and a complete waste of time. Reopening America is a much better way to go.”
She also claimed that there is “no need to enslave” Americans to more debt in the future by passing the huge bill.
“Mr Speaker, I ask for a motion to adjourn,” she requested.
However, just hours after her appeal, 40 Republicans voted against the motion to adjourn.
The bill was then passed through the House later that day, when Pelosi hit her gavel just after 2pm local time.
Biden was set to sign the bill into legislation on Friday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, however this got bumped up to Thursday afternoon.
Psaki tweeted: “Because Congress enrolled the bill more quickly than we anticipated, the President will sign the American Rescue Plan into law today within the hour.”
On Thursday, Biden said “this historic legislation is about a fighting chance” before he added his signature to the landmark package.
“Tonight, and the next couple of days, I’ll be able to take your questions,” he told reporters. “But in the meantime, what I’m going to do is sign this bill and make the presentation tonight.
“Then there will be plenty of opportunities to be on the road not only talking about what I’m talking about tonight, which is the impact [of] the virus and how to end this pandemic.
“We’re going to talk about all the elements of the bill beginning Friday, Saturday, and all through the week. So, thank you for being here,” he added as he signed the bill.
