While calls for a fourth stimulus check and additional economic stimulus measures are still percolating in Congress, it still seems unlikely that future checks will actually garner widespread political support.

Earlier this week, seven Democrats on the House Economic Affairs Committee sent a letter to President Biden requesting that a regular stimulus package be added to the "American Families Plan" announced earlier this spring.

We "urge you to prioritize both automatic [unemployment insurance] extensions and regular direct payments tied to economic conditions," the letter states.

"The pandemic has made families and workers acutely aware of their need for certainty in the midst of a crisis. They deserve to know that they can put food on the table and maintain a roof over their heads. They should not be at the mercy of ever-shifting legislative schedules and ad hoc solutions.

The legislators cited a study by a left-leaning think tank that showed that additional stimulus would lift millions of Americans out of poverty. They did not mention specific amounts of direct payments, nor did they suggest an income cap to determine who should receive continued relief.

Signatories to the letter included Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) Jimmy Gomez (R-Calif.), Gwen Moore (R-Wis.), Don Beyer (R-Va.), Earl Blumenauer (R-Ore.), Judy Chu (R-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (R-Calif.), Brad Schneider (elected in Illinois).

This latest letter echoes similar calls from Democrats in both the House and Senate earlier this year for additional stimulus payments, whether on a one-time or periodic basis More than 50 House members (including four of the seven members who signed this latest call) sent a January sent a letter to the White House, and a similar letter was authored by 21 Senate Democrats in March.

A Change.org petition calling for a $2,000 monthly stipend has garnered more than 2.2 million signatures.

Internet rumors that a fourth stimulus package has already been decided upon are incorrect. Various posts on Twitter and Facebook, as well as YouTube videos, claim that the Biden administration is sending checks to Americans who have been vaccinated, or at least warming to the idea of additional direct payments.

Again, there has been no meaningful movement toward a fourth relief check.

So far, eligible Americans have received three stimulus checks. The first, provided by the CARES Act passed in March 2020, was for up to $1,200 per person; the second check for $600 was deposited into a bank account around New Year's; the third check for up to $1,400 is part of Biden's American Recovery Plan, and the 2020 tax returns are being processed, and a small amount is still being paid.