21 senators asked the administration to automatically extend unemployment insurance benefits and send recurring direct checks that would be tied to certain economic conditions.

The payments are worth up to $1,400 per person and were included in the $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill signed by President Joe Biden earlier in the day.

The IRS was required to issue the payments by mid-January so that it could move on to processing this year's tax returns.

“We urge policymakers to use all the tools at their disposal to revitalize the economy, including direct cash payments, which are one of the quickest, most equitable and most effective ways to get families and the economy back on track,” the economists wrote in an open letter published Monday.

Americans who have yet to receive a stimulus check and don't normally file a federal income tax return are required to submit their personal information by 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.