'Not about him': Biden's name won't appear on stimulus checks in shift from Donald Trump

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Donald Trump's name, not his signature, appeared on stimulus checks distributed last year.

WASHINGTON – The latest batch of stimulus checks that will be delivered to Americans in the coming weeks will look a little different from the two previous rounds.

The president’s name will be missing.

President Joe Biden’s name will not appear on the checks, a departure from last year when then-President Donald Trump’s name was included on the direct payments.

“We are doing everything in our power to expedite the payments and not delay them, which is why the president's name will not appear on the memo line of this round of stimulus checks,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.

“This is not about him,” she said. “This is about the American people getting relief.”

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Millions of Americans will receive stimulus checks of up to $1,400 under Biden’s COVID-relief package, which is expected to be finalized by the House on Wednesday.

Most Americans will receive the payments via direct deposit, which means the money could start showing up in bank accounts by the end of the month, Psaki said.

Those who don’t will receive either debit cards or paper checks, which take longer to deliver. The paper checks will signed by a career official at the Bureau of Fiscal Service.

Trump was widely criticized for adding his name to the checks, marking the first time the president’s name had appeared on a disbursement by the Internal Revenue Service. Trump reportedly asked that his signature be included on paper checks. His name eventually appeared on the checks, but not his actual signature.

Critics said Trump’s decision to include his name delayed the distribution of money intended to help Americans recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump’s treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said it was his idea to include Trump’s name on the checks. The Trump administration also denied that adding his name delayed delivery of the money.

Trump also caught heat for sending a letter to Americans who received checks during the first round of payments last spring. The one-page letter, which said Trump’s administration was working to protect Americans from the consequences of the pandemic, was written on White House stationery and carried Trump’s signature in bold, one-inch-high characters.

Critics accused the Trump administration of politicizing the IRS.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID relief: Biden's signature won't appear on stimulus checks