In a column for CNN, Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance DirectorsвЂ™ Association, urged the government to help low- and moderate-income families with another check, as they are unlikely to continue keeping up with the rising costs. With prices rising so high, and in a short period of time, new calls are going out for a stimulus check or similar payment from the federal government.

As of now, the only states averaging under $4.00 a gallon are Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. The highest prices in the country are currently being seen in California, where the current average is $5.73 a gallon, with Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Arizona and Illinois all topping an average over $4.50 per gallon. The latest painful increase in price that has been felt by Americans has been at the gas pump, which according to AAA, sits at a nationwide average of $4.32 per gallon. However, some are starting to take notice and make the call for more financial assistance now-though if anything comes in the form of another federal stimulus check it will likely be a long wait. вЂњThe bottom line is that we could further reduce poverty and could provide additional assistance with another round of these broad payments that smaller or more target measures just canвЂ™t do.While the United States economy has come back fairly strong from the blow it was dealt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, itвЂ™s hard for the average American to see how with sky-rocketing inflation and now even higher costs that are a result of the Russian-Ukraine war. вЂњThere is a question in front of Congress about whether we should do anything else with additional stimulus payments,вЂќ Maag says. Housing instability and food insecurity remain financial issues for many Americans, economists say.ДЄnother round of payments could lift an additional 6.6 to 7.3 million people out of poverty, depending on whether the payment is restricted to citizens or made available to everyone, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. The third round of Economic Impact Payments from BidenвЂ™s American Rescue Plan could reduce the number of people in poverty by 11.4 million, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center says in its analysis. COVID-related relief could lift 7 million people out of poverty Some have also argued against the weekly unemployment boosts in the American Rescue Plan, saying that the amount was too large and discouraged Americans from returning to work. Republican lawmakers have moved away from more COVID-related spending due to the fast-growing budget deficit. вЂњAre we recovered? Are people still hurting? ThereвЂ™s some evidence that weвЂ™re not out of the woods yet.вЂќ Republicans have shown budget-related concerns вЂњWe need to look at the economy as a whole regarding whether there needs to be another round of direct payments,вЂќ says Elaine Maag, a principal research associate in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute.

Experts don't expect another stimulus check, thoughДЄs the economy continues to recover from last year's recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and as the job market improves, labor market and tax experts aren't expecting another round of stimulus checks in the next COVID-19 relief package. 'We urge you to include recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions in your вЂBuild Back BetterвЂ™ long-term economic plan,' 21 senators wrote in a letter to Biden in late March.

Will there be a 4th stimulus check