President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his ambitious Covid relief plan, saying he will always be honest with the public.
His plan aims to support school reopenings, create healthcare jobs, and intensify a national vaccination campaign.
Biden's plan would inject $20 billion into a vaccination drive in partnership with states, localities, tribes, and territories.
“Here’s the deal: The more people we vaccinate, the faster we do it, the sooner we can save lives and put this pandemic behind us and get back to our lives and loved ones,” Biden said during his speech. “We won’t get out of it overnight and we can’t do it as a separated nation.”
“My fellow Americans, the decisions we make in the next few weeks and months are going to determine whether we thrive in a way that benefits all Americans, or whether we stay stuck in a place where those at the top do great while economic growth for almost everyone else is just a spectator sport,” Biden said.
“It’s going to take time to get where we need to be. There will be stumbles, but I will always be honest with you about both the progress we’re making and what setbacks we meet,” he said.
A senior Biden official explained that the existing infrastructure for mass vaccinations was not enough: “What we’re hearing from the Trump administration is worse than we could have imagined ... They still don’t have the basics down.”
In a 19-page document explaining the plan, Biden’s officials note that the current vaccination efforts are not enough to inoculate the majority of the U.S. population, adding, “We must ensure that those on the ground have what they need to get vaccinations into people’s arms.”
The plan calls for direct payments of $1,400 to most Americans, increased per-week unemployment benefit to $400, $15 per hour minimum wage, and extension of eviction and foreclosure moratoriums.
The Covid stimulus package also includes $350 billion in state and local government aid; $170 billion for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education; $50 billion toward Covid-19 testing; $20 billion toward a national vaccine program in partnership with states, localities, and tribes; making the Child Tax Credit refundable for the year; and increasing the credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age 6).
The new plan from Biden comes as the nation reports at least 245,300 new coronavirus cases and at least 3,360 virus-related deaths each day, based on a seven-day average calculated by CNBC using Johns Hopkins University data. The U.S. posted 4,327 coronavirus fatalities on Tuesday.
Biden’s Covid plan is the first of two major spending initiatives the new president aims to implement in the first few months of his presidency, according to his officials.
Meanwhile, the second bill, which is expected in February, will address Biden’s longer-term goals. These include job creation, infrastructure, climate change, and advancing racial equity.
Democratic leaders commended the measure, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer releasing a joint statement.
“With the COVID-rescue package the President-elect announced today, he is moving swiftly to deliver that help and to meet the needs of the American people. House and Senate Democrats express gratitude toward and look forward to working with the President-elect on the rescue plan,” the two said in a press release.
