What's behind the push for a fourth stimulus check

The IRS has issued more than 169 million payments in the third round of direct stimulus aid, with another 2.3 million people last month receiving the $1,400 checks. But some lawmakers are pushing for a fourth round of stimulus aid that would effectively send recurring payments until the pandemic ends.

So far, the federal response to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has delivered $3,200 to each eligible adult: $1,200 under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act in March 2020; $600 in a December relief measure; and $1,400 under the American Rescue Plan signed in March by President Joe Biden.  Despite that financial assistance, millions of Americans remain in financial distress, with about 4 in 10 people saying their income remains below its pre-pandemic levels, according to a survey from financial services firm TransUnion. The pandemic worsened the hardship that many families experienced even before the crisis, with more than 1 in 4 households unable to pay for basics like rent or food in at least one of three years from 2014 to 2016, according to a new analysis of data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.