Congress dragging heels on stimulus checks — again

WASHINGTON — Don’t look for that $1,400 stimulus check from President Joe Biden anytime soon.

While there is still strong sentiment in Congress in favor of the payments, disagreements have emerged over the new president’s overall economic package and those disputes are likely to slow approval of any new stimulus money.

Biden wants a $1,400 per person payment as part of his $1.9 trillion economic aid package; however, the plan’s overall cost has Republican senators reluctant to endorse it.

The Democratic-run House is considering taking up the plan as early as next month, but the proposal’s path in the 50-50 Senate is still uncertain.

A key to getting approval for the stimulus payment involves centrist Republicans, and they are wary of Biden’s plans at the moment.

A bipartisan group of 16 senators, plans to meet with top administration officials this weekend.

“I want very much to hear the justification for a package that is so big, after we just had $900 billion last month, and a lot of that has yet to be disbursed,” said Sen. Susan Collins, RMaine, one of the bipartisan group’s leaders.

The White House said this week that it would be “challenging” to drop the price of the $1.9 trillion proposal, which includes money for unemployment insurance, vaccine distribution and schools.

“But this is a discussion. It’s a conversation. And he is no stranger to the process of billmaking,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

“So we’re at the beginning of the process. And as we continue, there’ll be conversations with members of both parties of what will be in a final package, and rarely does it look exactly like the initial package that is proposed,” she said.

The president has made calls to Democratic and Republican lawmakers about the package, Psaki said on Friday, but she did not say which ones.

Biden will take executive action on Friday afternoon to make it easier for Americans to receive payments Congress has previously approved.