Washington (NEXSTAR) — Powerful Parliamentary Commission members are seeking additional financial relief from the federal government for families who are still struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the third round of a $ 1,400 stimulating check, a letter sent to President Joe Biden from seven Democrats on the Houseways and Means Commission late last week was a direct support for housing, food, and others. Seeking 4th and 5th rounds of payment Payment. The committee oversees government budgeting and taxation. The group that signed the letter represents about 15% of the members of the committee.

“Families and workers don’t have to worry if they have enough money to pay for their necessities in the coming months, as the country continues to fight global pandemics and depressions,” read the letter. I will.

letterAs of May 17, the amount is not mentioned, but two more remedies are possible.

“The fourth and fifth checks can protect an additional 12 million people from poverty,” the letter says. Combine with the effect of ” [American Recovery Plan]Direct payments could reduce the number of poor people in 2021 from 44 million to 16 million. “

Earlier parliamentary letters calling for additional relief were signed by more than 80 Democrats. The change.org petition on this subject has collected over 2 million signatures from the general public.

Despite growing support among some Democrats, the fourth round of stimulus checks faces major hurdles. The third round of bailout squeaked through Congress, thanks to a budget loophole, when it couldn’t find bipartisan support. Since then, many Republican governors have vetoed federal COVID unemployment insurance benefits, claiming that they encourage people to stay home and collect money instead of returning to work. Proposals for additional direct payments may face similar criticism.

Moreover, Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi were relatively quiet about the possibility of additional checks. Instead, their focus is on passing Biden’s infrastructure plans.

when Asked directly about the stimulus check Earlier this month, White House spokesman Jen Psaki replied, “See what parliamentarians propose,” adding that payments were “not free.”

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the government has made three direct payments. About a year ago, the government sent a $ 1,200 stimulus check to most Americans through the CARES Act. In late 2020, the government approved a $ 600 per capita payment. After that, $ 1,400 was paid as a third stimulus.

In the latest round of COVID relief aid, the US government said it sent households approximately 159 million direct payments, for a total of $ 376 billion.

Employers are having a hard time filling up the jobs they are looking for

US companies are looking to increase employment and production, but some industries are short of both employees and raw materials.

Last month, the recovery of the US job market was suspended as many companies, from restaurants and hotels to factories and construction companies, struggled to find enough workers to catch up with the rapidly strengthening economic recovery. Did.

The slowdown in recruitment last month seems to reflect a number of factors. According to a government survey, nearly 3 million people are afraid of being infected with the virus and are hesitant to look for a job. More women dropped out of the workforce last month because they are more likely to care for their children after many have returned in the last two months last month.

Also, construction companies and manufacturers, especially automakers, have had to delay production for now due to a shortage of parts due to a blockage in the supply chain. Both divisions withdrew hiring in April. Some companies also say they believe that the $ 300 weekly unemployment allowance paid by the federal government discourages some of the unemployed from getting new jobs.

Still, companies have been adding jobs for four consecutive months. Reported by the Ministry of LaborHowever, the government has reduced employment growth estimates for February and March by 78,000.

With the resumption of employment, some Americans have begun to look for jobs. That is, if they cannot find a job immediately, they are newly counted as unemployed. This happened in April when the unemployment rate rose from 6% to 6.1%.

Employers are now posting far more jobs than they were before the pandemic, and many restaurant windows are dotted with “need help” signs. There are also other obvious signs of labor shortage. The average hourly wage in April rose 0.7% to $ 30.17. The government has suggested that the rapid resumption of the economy “may have put upward pressure on wages.” Average working weeks have also risen, indicating that companies are demanding more work from their employees.

“Demand is outpacing supply,” said Daniel Zhao, senior economist at Glassdoor, a job listing site. “This is happening throughout the economy, from semiconductors to sawmills, and there is a similar crisis in the labor market.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.