US President Joe Biden has warned of the deep and rising “cost of inaction” on his $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus welfare package, as the White House seeks to win public support for a package that is being rejected by Republican senators.
In the age of the coronavirus, it is not something as simple as hopping on a plane and traveling around the country to cheer up voters. And at a time of political polarization, Biden could pass jobs to convince Republican voters of the urgency when Congress already approved $ 4 trillion in aid, including $ 900 billion last month.
Biden indicated on Friday for the first time that he is willing to proceed without the Republicans.
“I want to pass the COVID aid with the backing of the Republicans, if we can get it,” he told reporters. “But aid for COVID has to be approved. Without buts or doubts ”.
His message so far has been that the new $ 1.9 trillion aid will be a trifle compared to the potential damage to the world’s largest economy if it is not approved. A vigorous effort for vaccinations and generous assistance to individuals would help parents return to work and children return to school, all of which would improve their income, Biden said Friday in a meeting with the Secretary of the Treasury. Janet Yellen.
“We have learned from past crises that risk is not doing too much. The risk is not doing enough, “he said.
Just in the first week of his presidency, Biden faces the challenge of promoting his first bill to a country he has vowed to unify. Private conversations with Republican lawmakers have yet to produce progress toward a deal, while Democrats now prepare to pass the measure strictly along partisan lines.
Some Biden allies have expressed exasperation that the government has not more clearly defined what the massive package would accomplish. Instead, the new president has focused in his first nine days in office on signing executive orders to overturn decisions of his predecessor.
In particular, Biden – for whom the wide distribution of coronavirus vaccines will be a crucial test – has not explained what the increased funding for testing and vaccination would accomplish, including how quickly the White House believes it would help curb the spread. pandemic.
–
