When Is the Next Round of Stimulus Checks Going Out?

By now, tens of millions of eligible Americans should have received their stimulus checks issued by the government to help limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

However, with no real end in sight for when the nation will completely drop its lockdown orders and reopen for business, doubts have been raised if a single $1,200 issued to a majority of single filers will be enough to sustain people during the crisis.

While there is no official confirmation, President Donald Trump previously said that he is considering issuing a second round of payments following the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

"We could very well do a second round of direct [payments]," Trump said during a news conference on April 7. "It is absolutely under serious consideration."

Lawmakers are already discussing what a fourth aid package could look like to help to give financial help to millions of Americans amid the unprecedented levels of unemployment.

Representatives Ro Khanna [D-Ca] Tim Ryan [D-OH] introduced Emergency Money for the People Act which will include an additional $2,000 for every qualifying American over the age of 16 for at least 12 months.

"A one-time, $1,200 dollar check isn't going to cut it," said Rep. Khanna. "Americans need sustained cash infusions for the duration of this crisis in order to come out on the other side alive, healthy, and ready to get back to work. Members on both sides of the aisle are finally coming together around the idea of sending money out to people."

Elsewhere, a coalition of 62 Congress members—including, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, as well as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—have signed a letter urging Senate and House leaders to make the payments monthly as part of a fourth coronavirus response bill.

"Simply put-people need more money in their pockets, and sending monthly payments to workers and families is the fastest and most direct way to address that need," the letter said.

"Now is not a time for timid solutions. In the face of an unprecedented moment in economic history and public health, we need to offer bigger, bolder and far more aggressive policies."

Sanders, who recently suspended his 2020 presidential campaign, also called for monthly payments of $2,000 to everyone in the country to help deal with the "worst crisis in modern history."

"We must provide direct, recurring, monthly payments to every person in the country, regardless of income, tax filing, or immigration status," Sanders said. "That means reaching every person in the United States, including the undocumented, the homeless, the unbanked, and young adults excluded from the CARES ACT."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also believed that the next stimulus bill will cost at least another $1 trillion and include another round of direct payments to citizens.

Any decision on what the latest stimulus bill could look like may not come to fruition until the House and Senate reconvenes on April 20, although it is possible to pass legislation before that if there are no objections.