Treasury and IRS begin sending stimulus payments to millions of Americans

Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin has assured Americans that their stimulus checks are on the way and direct deposits may begin arriving in accounts immediately.

The $600 payments are part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act of 2021 that President Trump signed on Sunday. 

"These payments may begin to arrive in some accounts by direct deposit as early as tonight and will continue into next week," tweeted Mnuchin on Tuesday afternoon. Paper checks will start to mail on Dec. 30.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said, "This second round of payments will provide critical economic support to those who, through no fault of their own, have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."

As with the first round of stimulus checks, the IRS will use the information it has on file to direct the payments to qualified Americans.

"We are working to swiftly distribute this second round of payments as quickly as possible," said Chuck Rettig, Commissioner of the IRS. "This work continues throughout the holidays and into the new year as we prepare for the upcoming filing season."

The Senate continues to debate whether the $600 payments should be raised to $2,000 — the amount which most Democrats, a growing number of Republicans, and the president want to see. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his chamber will address the matter later this week.