House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said having President Trump’s name on relief checks is a “shameful example” of how he has handled the coronavirus pandemic.
“Delaying direct payments to vulnerable families just to print his name on the check is another shameful example of President Trump’s catastrophic failure to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands,” the California Democrat said in a Wednesday statement.
A Treasury Department spokeswoman confirmed the decision to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday. The Washington Post cited officials who claimed the checks would likely be delayed because of the addition, but the Treasury denied that is true.
“Economic Impact Payment checks are scheduled to go out on time and exactly as planned — there is absolutely no delay whatsoever. In fact, we expect the first checks to be in the mail early next week, which is well in advance of when the first checks went out in 2008 and well in advance of initial estimates,” the spokeswoman said.
The checks will bear the words “President Donald J. Trump” in the memo line below the words “Economic Impact Payment.” The addition affects only the estimated 70 million who will receive physical checks. Millions of others have begun receiving direct deposits from the government into their bank accounts, a process that began last week.
The coronavirus relief measure provides residents with incomes below $75,000 a $1,200 direct payment. An additional $500 is being provided for each dependent under 17 years old.
