washington: Americans who received a stimulus check from the federal government during the third round of direct payments this spring can also look forward to a letter from President Joe Biden.
The one-page letter, which began arriving in recipients’ mailboxes, was sent by the Internal Revenue Service but written on White House stationery and includes Biden’s signature at the bottom. It’s similar to a letter Donald Trump sent last year, prompting accusations that he was politicizing the IRS.
addressed to “my fellow American,” the letter (a copy of which was obtained for US$1,400.
“When I took office, I promised the American people that help was on the way,” Biden wrote. “The US rescue plan delivers on that promise.”
The IRS said in a statement that the letter is required under the American Rescue Plan, but it later issued an updated statement that deleted that sentence. The agency said the original statement contained “a technical error.” The law directs the Treasury Department to notify those who are eligible for a stimulus check but doesn’t explicitly state who should send that notice.
A government watchdog group that criticized Trump for sending his letter after the first round of stimulus payments said Biden’s letter was also a bad idea.
“while what we see here from president biden is not as bad as what we saw from president trump, i.e. insisting that checks have his signature, which could delay them at the worst possible time, that doesn’t it’s good.” said Jordan Libowitz, spokesman for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
trump started “a worrying trend of using taxpayer resources to send letters to the public for his own benefit,” libowitz said. “Biden would be wise to abandon this practice along with much of his predecessor’s behavior.”
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Some 163 million stimulus checks totaling $384 billion have been distributed to those who are eligible for the money since Biden signed the US bailout in March. Most of the money was distributed through direct deposit, but about 850,000 people received a paper check because the IRS didn’t have direct deposit information for them.
Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a fourth round of stimulus payments to help Americans struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. but additional checks are unlikely.
Unlike the stimulus payments distributed under Trump, Biden’s name does not appear on the latest batch of paper checks. Trump reportedly asked for his signature to be placed on paper checks distributed during the first round last year. his name eventually appeared on the checks, but not his actual signature.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in March that Biden’s name would not be included on checks during this round to speed distribution.
“This is not about him,” he said. “This is about the American people getting relief.”
The IRS said about 78 million Biden letters had been sent as of April 30 and that shipments would continue as it processes more stimulus payments. The agency did not respond to questions about the cost of producing and mailing the letter.
In his letter, Biden informs the recipient how much he could receive under the new law. The letter, written in English and Spanish, also includes a phone number and website address where eligible recipients can track the status of their check.
biden closed his letter with an optimistic tone in the face of the pandemic.
“It has been a long and difficult time for our nation,” he wrote. “But I think brighter days are ahead. we are on the way to vaccinating the nation. our economy is improving. and our children will go back to school. I truly believe there is nothing we can’t do as a nation, as long as we do it together.”
michael collins covers the white house. follow him on twitter @mcollinsnews.
contributing: jessica menton
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where is my tax refund and why is it taking so long to arrive this year? some irs refunds take 6-8 weeks