(CNN) — US President Joe Biden will deliver his first prime-time address this Thursday, commemorating the one-year milestone since the global coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country.
“This Thursday, the president will deliver his first primetime speech to commemorate the first anniversary of the confinement by covid-19. He will speak to the many sacrifices the American people have made over the past year and the serious losses that communities and families have suffered across the country, “White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at the White House briefing. Monday.
He said Biden hopes to “highlight the role that Americans will play in fighting the virus and getting the country back to normal.”
Then-President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office on March 11, 2020, hours after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic.
Trump announced at the time that he was “summoning the full power of the federal government” to deal with the growing public health crisis, including a month-long hiatus in travel from Europe to the United States. The announcement came days after he signed a $ 8.3 billion emergency spending bill aimed at fighting the virus, which Trump described as a “foreign virus.”
One year after confinement by covid-19
A year later, more than 29 million Americans have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and 525,000 Americans have died. The resulting quarantines have rocked the US economy, with 6.2% unemployment. Biden’s speech is also likely to come after he is expected to enact his top legislative priority of a $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package to deal with the continued impacts of the virus, which is pending approval in the House of Representatives, this week.
However, Psaki said the White House does not take his approval for granted.
Officials will continue to interact with members on Capitol Hill, Psaki said.
“Our legislative team, led by Steve Ricchetti and Louisa Terrell, is certainly not taking anything for granted. They’re picking up the phone, checking into the offices, making sure their questions are answered. They are asking the president, the vice president, Ron Klain, other senior members of the administration to make calls, as needed, “he said.
The bill was approved by the Senate on Saturday afternoon, following party lines after the overnight branch vote.
The expected House vote this week serves as a test for Legislative Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold her party together despite some concerns from progressives about unemployment insurance and the minimum wage.
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