President-elect Biden's covid relief plan unveiled $1.9 trillion to stop the virus and improve vaccine capabilities and create emergency funds.
These are three key goals of the costly covid relief plan legislation: $400 billion to stop the spread of COVD-19 and improve vaccine capabilities; over $1 trillion to benefit families who need immediate financial support; and $440 billion in emergency funds for small businesses and neighborhoods that are cash-poor.
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"I believe we have the moral obligation," Biden said in his speech last Thursday night in Delaware. "In this pandemic in America, we can't let the people go hungry, we can't let people get evicted, we can't watch nurses and educators lose their jobs too." he continued.
President-elect Biden calls for an extra $1,400 in stimulus checks for Americans in his "American Rescue" proposal, in addition to the $600 already accepted, raising the total stimulus to $2,000. Other financial assistance includes boosting unemployment benefits by $100, taking the total to $400 a week, and to increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child.
It shoehorns the long-term priorities of Democratic reform, such as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, extending workers' paid leave, and raising tax benefits for families with children. The last item will make it easier for women to go back to work, allowing the economy to recover in turn.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer thanked Biden for including liberal priorities in a joint statement, promising that after Biden takes office next Wednesday, they will move quickly to pass it. But in both Congress houses, Democrats have slim margins, and Republicans will fight back on issues ranging from raising the minimum wage to supplying states with more cash while insisting that their priorities, such as corporate liability protection, be included.
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In his first 100 days, Biden had previously vowed to produce 100 million vaccines, but it would take years if vaccines were not still delivered faster in December. The US will need to "ramp up five to six times the current pace to 1 million shots a day," to meet its target, he said.
With a $50 billion investment, Biden intends to extend COVID-19 research, and the document reiterated his dedication to ensuring that tests are available for free to all Americans.
The investment involves the procurement of quick tests to produce faster results, expand laboratory resources to handle further tests, and introduce systematic testing procedures in schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and local governments.
The president-elect also plans to introduce emergency paid sick, family, and medical leave, stabilize emergency support for childcare centers with $25 billion, and avoid COVID-related evictions.
His new covid relief plan legislation will also launch his campaign to eliminate the tipped minimum wage and a nationwide minimum wage of $15.
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On Thursday, Biden also laid the groundwork for how his administration would improve the vaccine delivery method. "The vaccine rollout in the United States has been a dismal failure so far," Biden said.
Biden is proposing $400 billion to improve the vaccine system, emphasizing growing the number of distribution sites for community vaccines. An incoming senior official from the Biden administration reiterated confidence that providing 100 million vaccine shots will be reached in the first 100 days.
This is the first of two bills intended to fix COVID-19 by Biden. In a joint session of Congress on Thursday evening, Biden said he would introduce his "recovery" bill in February.
