There is still doubt if President Biden will go in for a monthly stimulus check. But starting right at the top with Vice-President Kamala Harris, many Democratic lawmakers are totally behind the idea of a regular stimulus check till an overwhelming majority of Americans recover from the economic crisis.
Democratic lawmakers, both from the House of Representatives and the Senate have sent letters separately to the President. They have strongly thrown their weight behind a regular stimulus payment. They are still to hammer out the specifics. But lawmakers from both houses have argued that a free one-off payment will not be enough to free Americans from the economic hardship brought about by the economic downturn.
55 lawmakers signed the letter and were led by lawmaker Ilhan Omar. Though there has not been mention of any amount, Omar has mentioned that taking care of the basic needs would require at least $2,000 per month.
Just a single check will not be adequate during this twin crisis of health and economy, she stressed. To bring families back from the brink, they need immediate certainty and stability. They need to be freed from the uncertainty of Congressional holdups.
A More Inclusive Stimulus Check
The letter further urged for the regular stimulus checks to continue till the economy and the health system are back on their feet. The payments should include people without a Social Security number (SSN) but having an ITIN number. They include both resident and non-resident aliens who require to file a tax return. Dependents or spouses of a US citizen, resident alien, or non-resident alien visa holder should also qualify. Such persons were left out from the first 3 rounds of stimulus checks passed by Congress.
The signatories have also backed the need for automatic stabilizers which would ensure an automatic stimulus check every time there was a dip in the economic situation.
Families deserve freedom from worrying about putting food on the table and ensuring a decent living condition. They should not be at the mercy of unstable legislative decisions and stop-gap solutions. Senior lawmakers, including Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey, are among the signatories. But the Democratic camp is yet to muster up the necessary support among the Republicans to push through the legislation. The Republicans were not open to the idea of even a third stimulus check.
