You probably haven’t heard much about a fourth stimulus check payment, but there are some major pushes for another round of checks going on right now.
Quick stimulus check recap:
- Former President Donald Trump previously approved two stimulus checks — one for $1,200 in spring 2020 and one for $600 in December 2020.
- President Joe Biden approved stimulus checks for $1,400 sent out in March 2021.
Petition for a stimulus check
There’s a new online petition on Change.org that calls for another round of stimulus checks. The petition — which has been signed by 2.3 million people — began as a way for a former restaurant owner to ask for a $2,000 stimulus check. He also asked for a $1,000 check for his kids.
- Since then, supporters have signed the petition hoping to get more stimulus payments.
- “Moving forward Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met,” the petition page reads. “No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need.”
Bernie Sanders and the stimulus check
The University of Michigan released a new analysis of stimulus checks that found the stimulus checks “resulted in lower rates of financial instability, food shortages and depression,” according to Yahoo Finance.
- “We see an immediate decline among multiple lines of hardship concentrated among the most disadvantaged families,” said study author Luke Shaefer. “Cash aid offers families great flexibility to address their most pressing problems, and getting it out quickly is something the government knows how to do.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted his support for another round of stimulus checks after seeing the report.
- “Government can and should continue to address the needs of working people, not just the 1%,” Sanders said in his tweet.
Does President Biden want another check?
White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested almost two weeks ago that Biden would be open to another round of stimulus checks.
- “He’s happy to hear from a range of ideas on what would be most effective and what’s most important to the economy moving forward,” she said.
However, she said Biden already approved two plans — the $1.7 trillion American Jobs Plan and the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan — that he thinks will help stimulate the economy.