CASH-STRAPPED Americans could miss out on an extra stimulus check despite the surge in Delta coronavirus cases that has hit the country.
Around 120,000 daily infections were recorded on average last week but a fourth payment still remains unlikely.
Joe Biden appears to be prioritizing the child tax credit rollout expansion.
Payments were sent to around 36million homes and parents with kids under six will receive a stimulus boost of $300 per child.
Monthly checks will be sent to families in September, October, November, and December.
Last month Biden touted that the child tax credits will continue but failed to specify how long they would be rolled out for.
Unemployment fell from 5.9 percent to 5.4 percent as more than 900,000 jobs were added to the labor market in July, according to Yahoo Finance.
This means that the economy could expand by as much as 6.5 percent this year – which would be the best performance since 1984.
Politicians are on their summer recess until mid-September which reduces the odds of a further stimulus check before the fall.
Read our stimulus checks live blog for the latest updates on Covid-19 relief…
Although a fourth check currently looks unlikely, lawmakers continue to lobby Biden to introduce some extra Covid relief.
Rep Ilhan Omar is among Democrats calling for monthly recurring payments worth up to $1,200.
Congresswoman Omar said: “The pandemic has laid bare these inequalities. We as a nation have the ability to make sure everyone has their basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare met.”
Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker are among politicians calling for recurring payments, Newsweek reports.
They think the $1,400 check isn’t sufficient to help cash-strapped families.
In a letter, they said: “These payments help keep families out of poverty, but they also act as an economic stimulus by increasing spending and supporting jobs. Now is the time for boldness.”
And calls for extra cash remain persistent from some sections of the American public.
CALLS FOR CASH
Taxpayers have taken to petition sites such as Change.Org to campaign for extra stimulus payments.
More than 2.7million people have signed a petition that was created by restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin.
She wants lawmakers to introduce checks worth up to $2,000 for adults and $1,000 for kids.
More than 180,000 people have signed another petition calling for checks worth up to $2,000.
And, stimulus petitions that were created during the Trump presidency have reached 75,000 and 60,000 signatures.
Americans have received three stimulus checks since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest round, containing checks worth up to $1,400, was sent out in March.
In May, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it was up to lawmakers in Congress to decide whether another round of checks would be introduced.
White House’s Jen Psaki says fourth stimulus check is up to Congress and ‘not free’