Has the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to give Americans a $1,000 spending card? A viral Facebook video claims so.
“President Biden’s gas stimulus bill gets green light,” a computer-generated voice narrating the June 10 video said. “We understand the challenges you face and we are here to help. The House has authorized a new $1,000 stimulus card program to support those in need,” the video’s narrator said.
According to the video, the card can be used for gasoline, groceries and other expenses. The post links to a website where it says viewers can claim this benefit.
The Facebook video was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads, and Instagram.)
In June 2022, as inflation sparked a rise in gasoline prices, President Joe Biden urged Congress to suspend the federal tax on gasoline and diesel sales for three months. Before that, in February 2022, Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced the Gas Prices Relief Act, which would have suspended the federal gasoline and diesel tax until January 2023 to lower prices at the pump. Neither proposal gained congressional approval.
Biden has not proposed a gasoline stimulus bill like the one the post describes. And a review of Congress’ newly approved bills surfaces no new stimulus card for everyday expenses. A Google search for government press releases announcing a $1,000 stimulus card yielded no relevant results.
The Facebook post includes a link that leads to a webpage that claims to let visitors win gift cards from companies such as Southwest Airlines and Target.
There are real federal and state programs that help people pay for food, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
False claims about government aid and stimulus cards are not new and many have been debunked. PolitiFact has checked several similar claims about nonexistent government programs that promise to help pay for groceries and other expenses.
The U.S. government warns the public about online scams, saying, “The government does not offer free money or grants to people for personal needs.” The government also urges people to report such scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
We rate the claim that the House approved a $1,000 stimulus card False.
Truth-o-meter Ruling
IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT
- The U.S. House of Representatives has not approved a $1,000 stimulus card for Americans to use on everyday expenses.
Statement
Context
a videoSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Facebook post (archived link), Jun. 10, 2024
The Associated Press, Biden calls for 3-month suspension of gas and diesel taxes, Jun. 22, 2022
Congress.gov, All Information (Except Text) for S.3609 - Gas Prices Relief Act of 2022, Feb. 2, 2022
Nasdaq, Will Congress Pass Rebate Payments For Soaring Gas Prices?, Mar. 31, 2022
Federal Trade Commission, "Government Grant Scams | Consumer Advice," August 2022
U.S. Department of Agriculture, What Can SNAP Buy?, accessed Jun. 24, 2024
USA.gov, "Avoid "free money" from the government scams," Nov. 7, 2023
PolitiFact, Congress has not passed a $6,400 subsidy for low-income Americans, Jan. 19, 2024
PolitiFact, Promises of $16,800 payments from the U.S. government are a scam, Dec. 18, 2023
PolitiFact, Medicare ‘flex cards’ are not as advertised, Jan. 12, 2022
PolitiFact, Adults older than 51 won’t get free money to help stave off inflation, Jul. 14, 2022
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