President-elect Joe Biden sought to manage expectations regarding how he can realistically alleviate some of the economic hardship created by the coronavirus pandemic.
“My ability to get you help immediately does not exist,” he said Wednesday. “I’m not even in office for another 50 days. And then, I have to get legislation passed through the United States Congress to get done what I want to do.”
Biden was speaking at a roundtable convened so he can better understand the COVID-19 outbreak’s economic repercussions. A restaurateur, a server, a school crossing guard, and a stagehand were among the participants.
Biden complained to the panel about President Trump’s perceived mismanagement of the Paycheck Protection Program. He claimed the program assisted people who weren’t the most needy. In August, the Trump campaign accused Biden’s son-in-law, Dr. Howard Krein, of benefiting from a PPP loan. Krein’s StartUp Health allegedly received between $150,000 and $350,000 to protect 18 jobs.
Though Biden predicted he would be hamstrung by Congress, he still outlined some of his top priorities after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
In particular, he touted his “Medicare-like” healthcare plan, saying it was “one of the reasons I think I got the nomination.” He also likened the $900 billion bipartisan COVID-19 relief package proposed this week to a stop-gap measure, describing it as “a down payment.”
But before he’s sworn in, Biden warned “another 250,000 people” could die between now and January as coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths spike across the country.
He implored the public to wear face coverings, arguing that individuals who complained the coverings infringe on their freedoms should talk to “all the people who went to World War I and gave their lives.”
“You cannot be traveling during these holidays, as much as you want to,” he said, adding, “Christmas is going to be a lot harder” than Thanksgiving.
