The viral online petition for monthly stimulus checks of $2,000 for the duration of the pandemic is less than 45,000 signatures away from its goal of 3 million.
The petition was started by Denver restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin.
Bonin addressed the petition to the US House of Representatives and the Senate. As of now, the Change.org website says that the petition is close to becoming one of their top signed on the site.
Read more: U.S. States Governments to Officially Start Distributions of Stimulus Checks to Eligible Recipients
The petition reads: “Our country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasn’t reached many Americans – the true unemployment rate for low-wage workers is estimated at over 20% and many people face large debts from last year for things like utilities, rent and child care.
These are all reasons that checks need to be targeted to people who are still struggling and that Congress needs to learn from this past year. It took nine months for Congress to send a second stimulus check, and just moments to spend it.
Moving forward Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met. No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need. Sign to join our movement to get recurring checks to the people.
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My name is Stephanie, and I am one of millions of Americans who fear for my financial future because of this coronavirus crisis. With businesses and schools closing across the country to control the spread of this virus, many people have already lost their jobs. Others are being forced to stay home.
This is catastrophic for working families like mine.
I’m calling on Congress to support families with a $2,000 payment for adults and a $1,000 payment for kids immediately, and continuing regular checks for the duration of the crisis.
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Otherwise, laid-off workers, furloughed workers, the self-employed, and workers dealing with reduced hours will struggle to pay their rent or put food on the table.
My husband and I own a restaurant in Denver and these past two weeks have been a blur. Our restaurant community is wrestling with seeing everything we all have worked so hard for irrevocably changed.
Our hearts were breaking as we watched our staff divide the ingredients in our kitchen to bring to their homes: a dismal token for employees who worked tirelessly every day. Our talented and cherished team, some of whom have been with us since we opened our doors 15 years ago, are now without an income.
Like our team, my family has lost all of the income from our restaurant, and business owners and the self-employed can’t claim unemployment. This is the story of America right now.
For our team and other Americans who can claim unemployment, even the maximum payments will not be enough for most people to continue paying their bills – and avoid slipping into poverty. The facts are, even successful small businesses can’t go months with their doors closed.
But supplying Americans with monthly support until they can get back on their feet can save our communities from financial ruin.
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We need immediate checks and recurring payments so that we can keep our heads above water. Congress needs to make sure that we won’t be left financially ruined for doing our part to keep the country healthy.”
However, it seems as though it would take more than the millions of signatures on the site for government to address the crucial needs.
Congress has expressed in the past that stimulus checks are no longer a priority as the Biden administration are moving towards other concerns.
You can sign the petition here.
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