President-elect Joe Biden stuck to his policy agenda rather than get distracted by impeachment politics through his unveiling of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus proposal on Thursday.
During a 25-minute, prime-time address, Biden strove to go beyond the nuts and bolts of his “American Rescue Plan” by conveying empathy for the hardships many people across the country are feeling during the pandemic.
“We didn’t get into all this overnight. We won’t get out of it overnight, and we can’t do it as a separated and divided nation. The only way we can do it is to come together,” he said in Delaware.
Touting his inauguration on Wednesday as the start of “a new chapter,” Biden warned his new administration would likely make mistakes.
“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.
Biden’s transition team shared details of his pricey COVID-19 plan, the first of two measures he wants passed within his first 100 days in office as “a moral obligation,” earlier in the day.
The “American Rescue Plan” includes $1,400 direct payments to most U.S. citizens, increases unemployment benefits to $400 a week and extends the program to September, leaves eviction and foreclosure moratoriums in place until September, expands the child tax credit, provides $350 billion in state and local government aid, and raises the federal minimum wage to $15.
“I know what I just described does not come cheaply. But failure to do so will cost us dearly,” Biden said.
He added: “The decisions we make in the next few weeks and months will determine if we thrive in a way that benefits all Americans or if we stay stuck in a place where those at the top do great, while economic growth for most Americans remains a spectator sport.”
Biden explained that his first package would focus on COVID-19 economic “rescue” efforts, while the second one would concentrate on longer-term “recovery” economic aims, such as job creation and infrastructure investment. His “Build Back Better Plan” priorities would be balanced with mitigating climate change and racial inequities, with more information to be released during his first address to a joint session of Congress next month, he said.
In addition, Biden delayed until Friday outlining how he intends to deliver 100 million coronavirus vaccine shots during his first 100 days. Instead, he simply called President Trump’s rollout of the vaccine a “dismal failure.”
Biden’s speech didn’t mention Trump’s impeachment on Wednesday, but he did release a statement imploring senators to “deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation,” specifically citing the coronavirus and the economy.
Trump’s Senate trial is likely to consume time and the incoming president’s political capital in the chamber. By the time the Senate trial starts, Democrats will control the 50-50 seat Senate thanks to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote.
