Possible 4th stimulus check now has support from over 80 Democratic members of Congress – MLive.com

Momentum for a fourth round of stimulus checks is building in the halls of Congress as more than 80 Congressional Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris have now expressed support for additional payments to Americans.

According to Newsweek, the latest sign of support came Monday when six members of the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on additional payments to be made as Americans continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter called the direct payments a lifeline to Americans whove been impacted by the pandemic and went on to say consistent sources of relief are imperative right now.

The pandemic has served as a stark reminder that families and workers need certainty in a crisis, reads a portion of the letter. They deserve to know they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

Those who signed the letter also argued that a possible fourth and fifth check could keep an additional 12 million people out of poverty, according to Newsweek. Those checks could potentially reduce those in poverty from 44 million to 16 million when combined with measures from the American Rescue Plan, such as the upcoming Child Tax Credit payments.

Mondays letter marked the third time Biden has been petitioned by lawmakers about a fourth round of checks. Earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about a possible fourth check and while she didnt commit either way, she did say it was essentially up to Congress to make the next move.

Well see what members of Congress propose, but those are not free, Psaki said.

Newsweek reports Democrats may push to tie the stimulus checks to the proposed $1.8 trillion American Families Plan that Biden has been pushing in recent weeks. That plan would include money for education, child care and paid family leave.

Any fourth stimulus check round would have to be approved by both the House and Senate before it lands on Bidens desk to be signed into law. Democrats may face an uphill battle, however, as the split in the Senate is 50-50, with the Democrats holding the tiebreaker via Harris, who would cast a vote in the event of a split vote.

If just one Senate Democrat were to not support the proposal, it would likely not pass as every Republican Senator -- aside from Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, who did not vote -- voted against the last bill that included stimulus checks.

Newsweek reports at least 21 Senate Democrats support recurring payments, but it is unclear if the entire caucus would vote in support.

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Possible 4th stimulus check now has support from over 80 Democratic members of Congress - MLive.com