The $1,400 stimulus checks included in the American Rescue Plan will begin going out electronically “as early as this weekend,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • The stimulus checks included in the latest round of COVID-19 relief will begin going out this weekend, the White House press secretary said Thursday

  • President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion relief legislation Thursday afternoon, one day earlier than expected

  • The checks will mostly go out via direct deposit, the press secretary said, and they are based on income recorded in Americans' most recent tax return

  • The president and vice president will travel around the country next week to highlight the American Rescue Plan and its impact

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion dollar legislation into law Thursday afternoon, a day earlier than expected, setting into motion economic relief for lower-income Americans, an extension of unemployment benefits and funding for things like vaccines and schools.

"This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country," Biden said before signing the bill, "giving people in this nation, working people, middle class folks, the people that built the country a fighting chance.”

That includes the $1,400 checks President Biden promised during his campaign, which the press secretary said will start going out via direct deposit this weekend.

When the last round of $600 payments was approved in late December, the initial wave was deposited into bank accounts in a matter of days, and most others rolled out in the two weeks following. 

This round is limited to Americans making $75,000 per year or less — or joint filers making $150,000 annually — and smaller checks will go out to people making up to $80,000 per year or $160,000 for joint filers.

Earlier this week, Press Secretary Psaki said the Treasury Department was preparing for a smooth rollout of the payments, the majority of which she said will go out by direct deposit. 

“Secretary Yellen is focused like a laser on ensuring that there's a clear process and system for ensuring this assistance gets out as quickly as possible,” she said Monday.

Issues with the previous round of checks included payments going to the wrong back accounts and delays even for those who had filed their taxes.

The qualification for this round of checks is dependent on a person’s most recent tax filing, either 2019 and 2020. Those who don’t have direct deposit information on file with the government will receive a paper check.

But this round of checks won’t have the president’s signature on it, a change from former President Trump, who insisted his name appear on the payments.

Besides the $1,400 checks, the bill also aims to help Americans with children by boosting the child tax credit, which will be paid out in monthly installments. 

Next week, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will make stops around the country to tout the impact of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, a trip dubbed the “Help is Here” tour.

Biden will visit Delaware County, Pennsylvania on Tuesday and travel with Vice President Harris to Atlanta on Friday, while Harris will also stop in Las Vegas on Monday and Denver on Tuesday.

First Lady Jill Biden will also visit New Jersey on Monday and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will make his own trip to New Mexico Wednesday.