Almost 3 million people have signed an online petition encouraging Congress to authorize a new monthly stimulus check.
In order to reach its goal set last year, the petition required just over 50,000 more signatures, a number which has greatly been surpassed now.
The petition has been circulated calling on Congress to pass legislation to provide Americans with $2,000 a month while the Coronavirus pandemic is in effect.
“Our country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasn’t reached many Americans,” according to the petition launched last year by Denver restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin. It continues:
“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.”
As the COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020, both the House and Senate voted to approve one-time $1,200 direct payments for most Americans.
Last December, lawmakers passed another bipartisan measure, which distributed $600 stimulus checks.
Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden, Democratic lawmakers passed a $1,400 check under the American Rescue Plan.
Despite polling showing a majority of Americans supported that legislation, Republicans did not vote in favor of it.
The idea of sending out monthly checks may not get the approval of most federal lawmakers, but the idea has garnered substantial support.
Currently, the White House is being urged to support recurring stimulus payments this year by 56 members of the House, 21 senators, and more than 150 economists.
Meanwhile, states in America have stimulated stimulus checks for their residents to further reduce the burden and effects of the pandemic.
In 2021, the state of California, the nation’s most populous state, had issued stimulus checks.
As part of the stimulus program, the state provided lower-income residents with $600 in payments.
Later, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom promised to present checks of $600 to two-thirds of Californians.
He further promised “an additional $500” to families with children.
California has now distributed millions of direct payments to Californians and will continue to do so.
Even though the American Rescue Plan does not seem to include more federal payments, Democrats did introduce Biden’s Child Tax Credit increase.
In the current program, parents with under-6-year-old children get $3,600 and those with 6 to 17-year-old children get $3,000 per child.
Additionally, the way the money is distributed has changed.
Parents now receive half of their expected credit in monthly installments instead of a single chunk sum after filing their tax return.
Congress is debating Biden’s Build Back Better social spending package which includes the popular increase and extension of the Child Tax Credit.
Nevertheless, it remains unclear when the House will vote on the bill and if the Senate will as well.
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