FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Announce A Fourth Round Of Stimulus Payments Only For Vaccinated Americans?

An image shared on Facebook claims President Joe Biden recently announced a fourth round of stimulus payments for which only Americans with proof of vaccination are eligible.

Facebook/Screenshot

Verdict: False

Biden has not announced a fourth round of stimulus payments only for Americans “with proof of vaccination” as of press time.

Fact Check:

Biden on March 11 signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, a coronavirus relief package that included giving direct $1,400 payments to eligible Americans. Those payments marked the third round of direct COVID-19 relief payments disbursed by the federal government, after the $1,200 and $600 direct payments authorized by Congress under the Trump administration.

A screen grab of a May 3 tweet alleges in a post that Biden recently announced a fourth round of stimulus payments “only for Americans with proof of vaccination.” However, Biden’s administration has not announced such a move as of May 10.

An announcement of a fourth round of stimulus payments limited to those who provide proof of vaccination does not appear in any briefing transcripts, speeches or press releases available on the White House website to date. Biden has not mentioned such a plan on his verified Facebook or Twitter accounts at the time of publication.

Check Your Fact also reviewed the White House fact sheets for the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan, two recent proposals from Biden. While the White House does propose in the American Families Plan fact sheet extending the child tax credit increases through 2025 and making the child tax credit “permanently fully refundable,” it does not mention a fourth round of stimulus payments tied to vaccination status. Nor does the fact sheet for the American Jobs Plan.

Media outlets such as USA Today and Yahoo Finance have published articles about the possibility of another round of stimulus payments; however, they have so far not reported on a Biden plan involving payments for only Americans “with proof of vaccination.” (RELATED: Will The FDA Not Authorize Or Approve Any COVID-19 Vaccines?)

In early April, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters there “will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential,” according to a White House transcript. She added, “As these tools are being considered by the private and nonprofit sectors, our interest is very simple from the federal government, which is Americans’ privacy and rights should be protected.”

When asked about the possibility of a fourth round of stimulus payments, Psaki said May 4, “We’ll see what members of Congress propose, but those are not free,” according to a White House transcript.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

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