President Joe Biden’s signature will not appear on the next round of direct economic relief payments sent to Americans across the country, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday, unlike his predecessor.
While former President Donald Trump reportedly insisted on having his name appear on the stimulus payments sent to taxpayers during his tenure in the Oval Office, Ms Psaki said at her latest press briefing: “This is not about him — this is about the American people getting relief.”
Asked about whether the president had requested his signature on the payments, the press secretary said Mr Biden “didn’t think that was a priority or a necessary step.”
There were allegations that Mr Trump’s reported demands for his signature to appear on the previous checks may have delayed those payments.
The IRS contended that checks went out on time, however, saying in a statement: “Thanks to hard work and long hours by dedicated IRS employees, these payments are going out on schedule, as planned, without delay, to the nation.”
Still, the White House said Mr Biden did not want any interruption in the payments being distributed and indicated his eagerness to sign the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping $1.9 trillion relief bill he proposed upon taking office.
Mr Biden was expected to sign the American Rescue Plan into law after it passed the House, where Democratic caucus chairman Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said he was confident the party had the votes to approve the bill.
The plan includes the $1,400 direct payments to Americans earning up to $75,000, as well as additional funding for vaccine distribution and to states that have seen budget deficits spurred by the pandemic and resulting economic decline.
Mr Trump was reportedly adamant that his name appear on the stimulus checks, despite the president not maintaining the authority to sign payments sent from the US Treasury. So, he instead had his signature added to the “memo” space.
The Washington Post and other outlets said the request for his signature to be included on the payments did in fact cause a delay in their distribution.
Ms Psaki said on Tuesday the administration was focused on getting the payments sent out as quickly as possible, noting the demand for immediate relief from the nation’s most vulnerable workers and low-income communities, which have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
“We’re doing everything in our power to expedite the payments and not delay them”, she said.
