Why is there talk of a fourth stimulus check for Memorial Day?

President Biden’s Plan for American Families provides different types of assistance for children, low-income adults

Photo: Jeff Fusco / Getty Images

The idea of ​​a fourth stimulus check has been haunting public opinion for almost a month, before the president Joe Biden will present its $ 1.8 billion plan for families.

Even more than 70 Congressmen pressured the president to support more direct economic aid to Americans.

However, aid similar to $ 1, 600 Plan dollars Rescue Plan (ARP) was not contemplated in the Plan for American Families.

There is also no concrete plan in Congress to approve a help of this type and the discussion of the matter between representatives and senators is in the field of the “Rumors”, that is, there is no negotiation formal decisions, according to sources in Congress to this newspaper who preferred anonymity.

The issue became relevant last week, after the White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, will point out that the Biden Administration would “wait” for the congressional proposal on extra financial aid.

“Let’s see what the members of Congress propose” , he said in response to a journalist which indicated that one of the congresswomen he covers – whose name he did not reveal – was in favor of a fourth check.

Psaki defended the $ 1.8 billion package proposed by the President Biden, which targets families with tax aids, including the Child Tax Credit , which would be extended to 2021 and would send $ 3, 600 dollars per year for children under 6 years and up to $ 3, 000 dollars for children between 6 and 17 years.

However, the spokeswoman was blunt about the lack of viability of a check stimulus.

“Those are not free” , expressed.

It should be remembered that direct economic support of this type has a high cost for the public finances, so it is difficult a consensus among congressmen, even Democrats, who have been more open to this type of benefits.

Now, none of the Democratic leaders in Congress, Nancy Pelosi (California), President of the House of Representatives, and Chuck Schumer (New York), Senate Majority Leader, publicly endorse extra financial aid.

What sparks rumors?

The debate in public opinion intensified before the re-impetus of a petition in Change.org , which asks Congress to deliver $ 2, 000 dollars per month Americans. The initiative exceeded 2 million signatures .

However, that request was initiated by the owner of a restaurant in Denver, Stephanie Bonin, before of the American Rescue Plan, which approved the $ 1, 600 dollars, coupled with the fact that Bonin -owner of a restaurant- can request direct help from her business, due to a fund of $ 28, 000 million dollars for this type of business.

There are such rumors in social networks that USA Today made a ‘fact-check’ on the message of a user on Facebook, which states that during the Memorial Day would be distributed the fourth stimulus check. That was denied.