Federal stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center.
Jeff Fusco | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Some Americans will receive new coronavirus stimulus checks as early as this weekend, the White House said on Thursday.
The news from White House press secretary Jen Psaki came minutes after President Joe Biden signed Covid’s $ 1.9 trillion relief bill.
“People can expect direct deposits to reach their bank accounts this weekend,” said Psaki at a news conference.
“This is, of course, only the first wave,” noted Psaki, adding that “payments to eligible Americans will continue over the next few weeks.”
In addition to billions of dollars in financing for vaccines, state and local governments and other areas, the plan will send direct payments of up to $ 1,400 to most Americans.
It would also extend an increase of $ 300 a week in unemployment insurance until September 6 and expand the child tax credit for a year.
Use Grow’s relief calculator to see how much you can get under the new law:
The huge bill, which most Americans support, passed Congress without any support from Republican lawmakers. The Democratic-led House and Senate passed the bill in Congress through the budget reconciliation process.
“This historic legislation aims to rebuild this country’s backbone,” said Biden before signing the legislation. “And giving the people of this nation, the workers, the middle class, the people who built this country, a chance to fight.”
Biden on Thursday night will make his first prime-time speech to the nation. He will talk about the bill and offer a cautiously optimistic view of the next steps in the fight against the pandemic.
“He plans to provide a clear outline of his approach, level with the American people on what is required of them, but also to provide a sense of hope for what is possible,” said Psaki at the briefing.
The speech, scheduled to start shortly after 8 pm Eastern Time, takes place on Biden’s 50th day as president and on the one-year anniversary of the rigid blocking measures that have been imposed across the country to delay transmission of the virus .