Biden Regrets Not Signing Pandemic Relief Checks: Calls It a ‘Missed Opportunity’

President Joe Biden openly admitted on Tuesday that he regretted not adding his name to the pandemic relief checks sent to Americans during his administration. Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Biden reflected on the decision made during the rollout of the American Rescue Plan, calling it a missed opportunity to showcase his administration’s economic accomplishments.

“I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks…and I didn’t. Stupid,” he added, tapping his head, which prompted laughter from the audience.

According to The Independent, While Biden chose not to add his signature to the relief checks, his administration did send IRS letters bearing his name to recipients. These letters highlighted the significance of the American Rescue Plan and its impact, stating, “On March 11, 2021, I signed into law the American Rescue Plan, a law that will help vaccinate America and deliver immediate economic relief to hundreds of millions of Americans, including you.”

The American Rescue Plan, which Biden described as a historic economic recovery package, aimed to mitigate the severe effects of the pandemic, which claimed over 1.2 million lives in the United States. In contrast, former President Trump’s handling of the crisis, which included controversial suggestions like injecting disinfectant and promoting unproven treatments, was widely criticized.

However, Trump’s decision to include his name on stimulus checks became a personal touch that many Americans associated with direct financial aid. Former President Barack Obama also weighed in on the matter during a campaign rally, cautioning voters not to be swayed by Trump’s tactics.

According to HuffPost, Joe Biden sent you a check during the pandemic just like I gave people relief during the Great Recession,” Obama said. “The thing is, we didn’t put our name on it because it wasn’t about feeding our egos, it wasn’t about advancing our politics, it was about helping people.”

Comedian Seth Meyers also chimed in, suggesting Biden should have taken a more direct approach. “Next time, put your name on it,” Meyers quipped during Late Night. “Seriously, Joe Biden should have sent everyone $1,000 in the mail and called it Biden Bucks.”

In his remarks, Biden also expressed concern over economic policies proposed by his successor, cautioning against broad tariffs and tax cuts. He warned that such policies could raise prices for American consumers and disrupt economic stability. Biden also expressed opposition to Project 2025, a policy framework linked to some of Trump’s allies, calling it a potential economic disaster.