A senior administration official of the Treasury Department told CNN, on April 14, that U.S. President Donald Trump's name will appear on checks sent to millions of Americans in an attempt to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus.
According to the senior administration official, adding Trump's name will not delay the process of sending those checks. This unprecedented move was originally reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday.
Two senior officials claimed that adding President Trump’s name on the economic stimulus checks could push back the delivery date of the first set of checks, and even slow down an already sluggish process that is likely to take about 20 weeks. The Treasury Department debunked the claim, with a department spokesperson confirming that the first set of checks are still on schedule and are slated to be sent next week.
The Treasury spokesperson also confirmed that there is no delay. In its latest report, the Post noted that the words "President Donald J. Trump" will be added in the memo line on the left side of these checks. This will be the first time a president's written name has been added on an IRS check, CNN pointed out.
Trump's name will be on paper checks sent to Americans who are getting their stimulus payments. A large number of people are receiving the payments via direct deposit, provided their bank information is on file with the Treasury Department. Some of these direct deposit payments are currently being deposited in bank accounts.
The Treasury Department is leaving no stone unturned in an attempt to send coronavirus stimulus checks of millions of taxpayers, who do not have their bank details on file with the Treasury Department and cannot receive direct deposits. Regrettably, they are in for a very long wait as far as receiving the checks in the mail is concerned.
A House Ways and Means Committee memo suggests the paper checks will be circulated at a rate of nearly 5 million every week, meaning, it could take about 20 weeks to issue them all. These checks will be sent out to people who have the lowest incomes based on adjusted gross income.
The POTUS had asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin if the checks can be signed by him, three administration officials said. It is worth noting that the president doesn't have the authority to sign Treasury payments to ensure the checks are safe from politicization.