Here's What You Need to Remember: More than 167 million stimulus payments, worth roughly $391 billion, have been sent out by the Internal Revenue Service since President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan passed in March, with millions of additional payments set to be pumped out in the upcoming weeks.

More than 167 million stimulus payments, worth roughly $391 billion, have been sent out by the Internal Revenue Service since President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan passed in March, with millions of additional payments set to be pumped out in the upcoming weeks.

But as the IRS finishes sending eligible Americans the $1,400 direct payments, congressional Democrats have ramped up calls on the Biden administration to approve of a fourth direct payment or recurring checks.

Democrats argue that Americans are still struggling due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as they are unable to “put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads,” a group of House Democrats wrote to the president.

Many polls have also indicated that voters generally support additional aid from the government. For example, a poll from Data for Progress found that 65 percent of voters, including 54 percent of Republicans, back a $2,000 recurring payment for every eligible American until the end of the pandemic. A petition has also been launched on Change.org, calling for $2,000 monthly checks that has over 2.2 million signatures.

In a separate effort to pass additional stimulus payments, a group of 21 Senate Democrats sent a letter to the president back in March, urging him to provide Americans with recurring checks until the end of the pandemic. The lawmakers wrote, “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.”

“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,” the lawmakers added.

And while Democrats in both the House and Senate have called on the White House to implement the big-spending measure, Biden has not indicated whether he would stand behind the push.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that the stimulus payments “are not free” and that the administration will “see what members of Congress propose.”

Offering a fourth stimulus payment or recurring checks would also face loads of backlash from congressional Republicans, as GOP lawmakers have balked at supporting another relief bill that pumps federal aid into the pockets of Americans. Republicans have contended that the stimulus money deterred people from returning back to work, citing the widespread labor shortages.

It’s likely that the only way Democrats could pass additional direct federal aid would be by budget reconciliation in the Senate, which would require only a simple majority. But that means Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) would need to hold the entire Democratic caucus in the upper chamber together to back more stimulus payments.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill.

This article appeared earlier and is being reposted due to reader interest. 

Image: Reuters