Fourth stimulus check — support growing in Senate despite long odds

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Progressive lawmakers and lobbyists in Washington, D.C. are continuing to advocate for additional stimulus relief for individuals and families, though their proposals face an uphill battle in both Congress and at the White Business firm.

A grouping of 21 Senate Democrats on Tuesday (March 30) sent a letter to President Biden calling for recurring straight payments and ongoing federal unemployment benefits to be included in the assistants's infrastructure package.

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"Automatic stabilizers volition give families certainty that more relief is coming, assuasive them to make the all-time decisions well-nigh how to spend their relief payments every bit they receive them," the lawmakers wrote.

"Families shouldn't have to worry nearly whether they'll have enough money to pay for essentials in the months ahead as the state continues to fight a global pandemic."

The proposal did not cite a specific amount for time to come stimulus checks, nor what the requirements would be for individuals to receive them.

The letter was signed by several members of the Senate Democratic leadership: Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Deputy Whips Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jeffrey Merkley (D-Oregon) and Assistant Autonomous Leader Patty Murray (D-Washington), the third-nigh senior Democrat. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-New York) did not sign.

A smaller group of xi Senate Democrats — all of whom also signed onto this most contempo letter of the alphabet — sent a similar proposal to the White Firm in early on March, and more fifty House progressive lawmakers signed onto a January letter of the alphabet calling for direct payments.

Notably absent were senators who had expressed reservations nigh the size and telescopic of the Biden stimulus neb while it was making its way through Congress, including Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia).

All three ended up voting for the final legislation, the American Recovery Plan Human action, later on eligibility requirements for the third stimulus checks were tightened.

Could additional relief payments happen?

Left-leaning policy groups, such equally the Urban Establish and the Revenue enhancement Policy Eye, have suggested that additional stimulus checks could elevator millions out of poverty. And an internet poll conducted in December by Data for Progress suggested that 65% of Americans supported $two,000-per-calendar month direct payments throughout the course of the pandemic.

However, some analysts are skeptical that the Biden assistants will push for ongoing relief payments among its other priorities, CNBC reports. Neither Biden nor anyone in his administration take publicly commented on the notion of a quaternary stimulus bank check.

GOP lawmakers were already opposed to the third stimulus checks, and there's little reason to believe whatever could be persuaded to vote for a fourth.

Passing a bill authorizing a fourth stimulus check would accept to exist done, every bit the tertiary bill was, through a special budget procedure called reconciliation that would crave the support of every Democrat in the fifty-l Senate — including the wavering moderates mentioned before.

And then the odds of a quaternary stimulus check are indeed long. But with a significant number of senators pressing for more than relief for individuals and families, the idea isn't likely to disappear anytime presently.

Emily Long is a Utah-based freelance writer who covers consumer technology, privacy and personal finance for Tom's Guide. She has been reporting and writing for nearly 10 years, and her work has appeared in Wirecutter, Lifehacker, NBC BETTER and CN Traveler, amongst others. When she's not working, you can find her trail running, teaching and practicing yoga, or studying for grad schoolhouse — all fueled by coffee, plainly.