Although a fourth stimulus check hasn't been formally proposed, the White House chimed in this week on where it believes another round of direct payments stands.
On Tuesday (March 4) White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "We'll see what members of Congress propose, but those are not free," when asked about the likelihood of more stimulus checks during a press conference.
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This means the White House, or President Joe Biden's administration, will not draft a bill including a fourth stimulus check as it did with the third stimulus check. The $1,400 payments, which are still going out, were included in Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in March.
Instead, support for another round or recurring rounds of direct payments will need to come from Congress. Based on Psaki's comment to reporters, it appears its up to Congress to rally around more stimulus checks, if that's what lawmakers want. It would also be up to Congress to decide the fourth stimulus check amount.
Does Congress want more stimulus checks?
Congress has yet to take any meaningful steps toward more stimulus funding. But at least two groups of lawmakers have asked the White House to consider monthly stimulus checks until the end of the pandemic.
Back in January, more than 50 House Democrats sent a letter to the White House asking for recurring direct payments to be included in President Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
Then, in late March, 21 Senate Democrats, including multiple party leaders penned a similar letter urging Biden to consider monthly stimulus checks in his Build Back Better plan.
During his first official address to Congress last week, Biden said that more than 85% of Americans have received their $1,400 stimulus check, but did not mention a fourth stimulus check.
Again, the third stimulus check is still going out, so be sure to check your stimulus check status or call the IRS stimulus check phone number with questions regarding your payment.
