For the first time as president of the United States, Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. And while many were hoping to hear word that a fourth or even a fifth round of coronavirus stimulus checks would soon be signed off, Biden stayed silent on the issue.  

But know that this didn’t come entirely as a huge surprise. Those who are against giving more monetary assistance to financially hurt Americans have pointed out the fact that Congress has already approved the delivery of three stimulus cash payments—a $1,200 check in April 2020, $600 in December, and the current $1,400 payments under Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. 

Despite the opposition among many conservatives, it appears that  

Biden is aware of the everyday struggles of everyday Americans amid the ongoing pandemic.  

For the past several months, dozens of Washington lawmakers and economists across the country have put on a full-court press to prove that recurring stimulus payments are needed right now.  

Late last month, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and twenty other Democratic senators did just that, urging Biden to include recurring direct payments in his “Build Back Better” legislation. 

“We urge you to include recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions in your Build Back Better long-term economic plan,” the senators’ letter read. “While we are pleased that the American Rescue Plan included a one-time direct payment and an extension of federal unemployment insurance programs, a single direct payment will not last long for most families.”

They continued: “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. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions.”  

A Sort of Fourth Simulus? If You Have Kids, That Is 

Biden may not have said that “fourth stimulus check” directly to Americans on Wednesday, but know that the expanded child tax credit—considered by some as essentially a “fourth” stimulus payment—is ready to land in millions of parents’ bank accounts beginning in July.  

This financial boon is largely due to Biden’s legislation, which pushed the expansion of child tax credits that generally allowed families to claim a credit of up to $2,000 for children under the age of seventeen. Now, the benefit has been extended to lower-income families who otherwise wouldn’t receive such a cash windfall. Eligible families can look forward to claiming as much as $3,600 per year for a child under the age of six and up to $3,000 for children between six and seventeen.  

Also, be aware that if Biden’s $1.8 trillion American Families Plan eventually gets green-lighted, the child tax credit will be expanded even more—potentially giving parents a total of up to $16,200 of cash per child. These parents with children living at home could receive a monthly $300 check per each child through the end of 2025.  

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.  

Image: Reuters