On President’s Day, progressive politicians and journalists on social media urged Congress and President Joe Biden on the $ 1400 stimulus checks the Democrats promised to deliver to Americans.
Before Biden started, he said he wanted to act “boldly and urgently” to get the checks passed by Congress. “We have no second to waste when it comes to the American people the relief they desperately need,” he said. But weeks have passed since Biden’s inauguration and the inauguration of a new Congress, and the president’s stimulus plan has still not been implemented.
On Twitter, former Ohio senator Nina Turner wrote ’44 days ‘, along with a tweet on Feb. 13 stating that’ it’s been 42 days since we installed a new congress. It’s time for the American people to receive their $ 2000 checks. ‘ Turner is currently leading for the US House in the 11th District of Ohio.
Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders wrote: ‘The Covid Assistance Bill will do a lot of good for working Americans, but one thing that simply cannot be stressed enough is that it will halve the poverty of children. reduced – the largest reduction in modern history. Therefore, we must act and act quickly. ‘
The Covid Assistance Bill will help many jobs for Americans, but one thing that simply cannot be stressed enough is that it will halve the poverty of children – the largest reduction in modern history. Therefore, we must act and act quickly.
– Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) 15 February 2021
Progressive journalist Walker Bragman wrote: “Joe Biden has been in office at a Democratic House and Senate for almost a month.
Joe Biden worked for nearly a month with a Democratic House and Senate in office. Still no $ 2000 relief checks …
– Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) 15 February 2021
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Biden will discuss with US voters this week the $ 1,400 stimulus checks as he heads for his first official presidential trip.
“The president is looking forward to coming out into the country, talking to people about his plans to get relief, get immediate investigations into their hands and speed up the distribution of vaccines and reopen schools,” he said. Psaki told The. Wall Street Journal.
“It has been his focus for some time,” she adds, “but he will double his efforts in the coming days and weeks.”
Jeff Fusco / Getty
The matter has become predictably controversial among lawmakers in Congress. Some Republicans believe the direct payments are too expensive and others have called for the criteria for the recipient to be tightened so that only lower-income earners can receive them.
On February 6, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Minorities, said that Congress would pass the $ 1,400 checks “before the end of February”. But the checks may have to be passed by the Senate without Republican support.
Senate Democrats can pass the stimulus controls using a procedure called budget reconciliation, which will circumvent the need for Republican support. However, this procedure would require all Senate Democrats to approve the measure, and Democratic West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said he feels uncomfortable passing legislation without Republican support.
In a speech on December 10, Sanders stressed that tens of thousands of millions of Americans lost their jobs and health insurance during the pandemic. Some have exhausted their life savings, avoided medical care, starved or would owe thousands on rent if the national eviction moratorium was ended, he said, adding that the Black and Latino communities were particularly hard hit.
Newsweek Sanders’ office contacted for comment.