
Biden releases $1.9 trillion COVID-aid plan to help Americans, economy
The plan would bring Americans $1,400 more in aid along with plans to aid businesses and the economy while doing more to fight COVD-19
The plan would bring Americans $1,400 more in aid along with plans to aid businesses and the economy while doing more to fight COVD-19
The incoming president says he will work to improve the distribution system when he takes office. “As I long feared and warned the effort to distribute and administer the vaccine is not progressing as it should.”
Lots of irony here. A demand by the controversial outgoing president gets help from a Democratic controlled House to pass his demand that stimulus payments be raised from $600 to $2,000 per person and the final decision rests with the GOP-controlled Senate.
The strain that has caused so much concern in Britain may not cause worries if it arrives in America because current vaccines should handle it.
Some say having a member of Congress or a president-elect or a mayor getting a shot early showcases the safety of the vaccine. Others say it is just another example of catering to the rich and powerful.
The massive bill is a compromise that leaves most members of Congress saying there is much more that needs to be done and doing so will happen in a new Congress with a new president.
It’s often said that most members of the House and Senate never read the legislation they approve, the relief bill passed in the wee hours of Monday night was one that no one had even seen, not much have read.
The aid package, the second one this year, gives individuals payments about half the size of the previous one, but more is promised after a new president takes office on Jan. 20.
Direct payments to individuals, along with extended unemployment benefits, are half of what came in the initial aid package. Same for aid to states and localities.
After haggling and trying to work angles, Democrats and Republicans have reached a consensus to both keep the government running and provide new aid to businesses and residents suffering from the severe economic hardships of the pandemic. Critics say the aid is not enough and a drive to hand out more will be a priority when the new Congress is sworn in next year.