"Everyone is paying more these days to fill up the gas tank, to put food on the table," he said. "An extra $600 or $1,000 will come in handy anytime but especially when the family budget is tightened up by higher prices."
The Bush administration is counting on 130 million economic stimulus checks - up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for couples - to boost consumer spending and trigger a rebound in growth starting this summer.
The first batch of rebate payments started hitting bank accounts last week through direct deposits.
Cheney, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other Bush administration officials headed to government check printing centers around the country Thursday for events highlighting the fact that the checks are in the mail.
The vice president acknowledged that "no one can tell the future for certain" but said Americans should be assured that the economy will turn around. Consumer confidence, a vital part of the economy's health, has hit record lows and many analysts think the country has already toppled into a recession.
Cheney called on Congress to make the Bush administration's first-term tax cuts permanent as another way to boost the economy.
The Philadelphia Regional Financial Center, where Cheney spoke, is part of the Treasury Department's Financial Management Service. It is one of four centers nationwide that are issuing the 88 million paper checks between now and July.
