Stimulus Checks: Donald Trump Says There’s ‘No Rush’ for Second Payment

Since there is no clear end in sight to the coronavirus crisis, many are wondering whether another round of stimulus checks could be on the way. The White House and Congress previously agreed to a $2 trillion stimulus package in late march that entitled eligible Americans to a one-time $1,200 check (or $2,400 to couples filing a joint tax return). But, based on what President Donald Trump had to say recently, that could be the only stimulus check that one receives for the time being.

According to the Associated Press, Trump recently remarked that he’s in “no rush” to negotiate another stimulus relief package. His comments come as the government has reported that nearly 20 million Americans have lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, told reporters on Friday that the Trump administration wants to wait and see how the last round of recovery funding pans out before committing to additional payments. Kudlow shared, “We’ve kind of paused as far as formal negotiations go. Let’s have a look at what the latest round produces, give it a month or so to evaluate that.” Kudlow added that discussions regarding additional stimulus payments were in a “lull” and that legislators would “regroup” in the next several weeks.

Trump’s latest statement comes after he touched upon the subject of additional stimulus payments in early April. At the time, he shared that he was seriously considering having a second round of stimulus checks. During a White House task force briefing, he said, “We could very well do a second round. It is absolutely under serious consideration.” Although, weeks after Trump said that he was seriously considering another round of stimulus payments, he expressed his support for an entirely different kind of aid.

In late April, during another one of the White House’s daily press briefings, the president was asked what he thought about another round of stimulus payments. He responded with, “I like the idea of payroll tax cuts,” which would seemingly be implemented in lieu of any additional payments to American citizens. While the president has expressed differing opinions regarding additional stimulus payments, there are others who are more supportive of the idea of another round of payments for American taxpayers. The Emergency Money for the People Act was introduced by Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio and Rep. Ro Khanna of California in mid-April and would entitle Americans to $2,000 per month during this coronavirus crisis. But, it should be noted that this act has only been introduced and has not made its way through the entire legislative process yet.