Stimulus check: More than 2.5 million sign petition for monthly $2,000 payments

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A Change.org petition demanding monthly $2,000 stimulus checks for all Americans has garnered more than 2.5 million signatures (and counting), but there is no indication that more pandemic relief is in the works. 

The petition was launched in March 2020 by Vermont resident (and Denver restaurant owner) Stephanie Bonin and her husband when then-president Donald Trump and Congress were negotiating the CARES Act, which provided the first round of $1,200 stimulus checks. 

Bonin urged that Congress "support families with a $2,000 payment for adults and a $1,000 payment for kids immediately," and to continue doing so for "the duration of the [coronavirus] crisis."

Support has continued to mount for the idea. The petition took about a month to get to 1 million signatures, and nearly a year to get the second million, with signatures jumping from 2.3 million in early June 2021 to 2.5 million a month later. 

"Still recovering and need to pay basic bills," says one recent signee. 

"We have been left with no babysitter to be able to continue with a job. Still struggling very much," writes another. 

Is a fourth check possible? 

Despite this relatively small amount of public support, there are no signs that Congress or the Biden administration are planning to issue additional stimulus checks or ongoing monthly payments to all Americans. 

In fact, many states have recently ended supplemental unemployment payments in hopes of encouraging people to return to work, though it's not clear whether those weekly checks are the primary cause of a hiring shortfall for low-income jobs. 

Plus, lower-income families with dependent children ages 17 and under are set to receive the first of six advance child-tax credit payments next week (July 15). 

This expanded benefit provides up to $3,600 per child ($300 per month) under age 6 and up to $3,000 per child ($250 per month) age 6 through 17, with half of the amount available in advance. 

Families with incomes above $75,000 for individual filers and $150,000 for married filers are still eligible for the regular pre-2021 credit of $2,000 per child under age 17, but they won't qualify for the advance monthly payments.

While there have been a number of proposals tossed around among lawmakers to provide more stimulus relief, none have moved forward, and very little has been said on the issue in recent months.

Emily Long

Emily Long is a Utah-based freelance writer who covers consumer technology, privacy and personal finance for Tom's Guide. She has been reporting and writing for nearly 10 years, and her work has appeared in Wirecutter, Lifehacker, NBC BETTER and CN Traveler, among others. When she's not working, you can find her trail running, teaching and practicing yoga, or studying for grad school — all fueled by coffee, obviously.