Rep. Ilhan Omar says the federal government should distribute monthly $2,000 checks to U.S. residents "for the duration of the pandemic."
"A one-time payment of $2,000 is simply not enough," reads a letter from Omar and a group of House Democrats to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. "Recurring payments would provide a long-term lifeline to struggling Americans."
Omar led the letter effort, which includes signatures from 54 of her colleagues. No other member of the Minnesota delegation signed on.
The last COVID-19 relief bill, which Congress passed at the end of last year, included $600 one-time relief checks for Americans. Biden's relief proposal would supplement that with additional $1,400 checks, but a number of progressive House Democrats have called that figure insufficient as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on employment across the country.
"Another one-time round of checks would provide a temporary lifeline, but when that money runs out, families will once again struggle to pay for basic necessities," the letter reads. "One more check is not enough during this public health and economic crisis."
Under the group's proposal, the checks would go to both adults and dependents, as well as all immigrant families. The lawmakers are also proposing the payments be prioritized to those who need them the most.
