The new president of the United States, Democrat Joe Biden, described a dramatic economic and social crisis in the world’s leading power and launched a massive plan this Friday to provide relief for pandemic-hit families, communities and businesses. “It’s not just a moral obligation, it’s an economic imperative,” Biden cried out, saying he believes the coronavirus will leave “more than 600,000 dead” in the country.
With Vice President Kamala Harris on her back, the Democrat announced in the White House a $ 1.9 trillion package he will send for approval in Congress, where Democrats have a majority. He remains focused, within hours of his assumption, on one of the top priorities he set for his tenure: halting the advance of viruses and providing emergency aid for the most vulnerable.
“We need to act now,” the new president warned, saying it is a time of emergency that urgently needs government forces, parties, workers, unions, Wall Street and the common people to unite to curb this crisis.
Decisions include doubling up to $ 15 an hour from the current minimum wage of $ 7.25. And in addition, they analyze granting one assignment per child.
The US president re-signed another package of decrees to speed up protection due to pandemic damage. Reuters
Already on Thursday he had signed a series of executive orders aimed at containing the pandemic, with the obligation to use the chin in federal areas and also the requirement of quarantine for passengers arriving in the United States. From the White House, Biden estimated this Friday that the pandemic could leave “600,000 dead.” There are already more than 400,000 and there are records of fatalities every day.
The pandemic has pushed the country into a serious situation, unprecedented in history. More than 10 million people are out of work, 14 million tenants are behind on payments, 29 million adults and at least eight million children are struggling with food insecurity.
“We need to attack the hunger crisis in the US,” Biden said, especially in the most affected African-American and Latino communities. “Families can’t stand another day.” One in seven households and more than one in five African American and Latino households have difficulty buying food, the president explained.
The initiative instructs the Department of Agriculture to expand federal food aid programs and the Treasury Department to modify its programs so that relief reaches about eight million people who have not received assistance since it began. the pandemic.
The initiative plans to give citizens a new check for $ 1,400 as a temporary relief from the difficulties. That would add to the $ 1,200 and another $ 600 approved during the Donald Trump administration.
Biden also proposes raising the salary of more federal employees to $ 15 per hour.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who this Monday will run the impeachment charge against Donald Trump in the Senate. AFP
The plan also calls on the Department of Labor to clarify that workers have a right, guaranteed by federal law, to refuse to perform tasks “that endanger their health, and that if they do so they qualify to obtain the unemployment benefit “.
The package will be sent for approval by Congress, where Democrats now have a majority and could come out unscathed even though Republicans may be reluctant to increase public spending.
As revealed by The Washington Post, Democratic senators are also working on a project to give cash child allowances to lower-income sectors (it did not transpire what the annual income limit would be). They would be monthly deposits of $ 300 for children under 6 and $ 250 for children under 17.
More lawmakers these days will be embroiled in other important issues. They are moving forward with the confirmation of the new cabinet as in the US most ministers have to be approved by the Senate. They have already given the green light this Friday to retired General Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, who will be the first African-American to hold the post.
But the most sensitive task will come on Monday. The Senate is preparing for the impending political trial of Trump, accused by the House of Representatives of “inciting insurrection” during the January 6 assault on the Capitol, when a group of supporters of the former president went invade the building amid a wave of violence that left 5 dead.
Now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced that the indictment against the former Republican president will be sent to the upper house on Monday. Lower House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democratic lawmakers who will serve as prosecutors are “prepared” for the process before the 100 senators. It is up to the upper house to decide whether or not Trump is guilty of this charge and they could even take away his ability to run again as a 2024 candidate.
The White House wants Congress to act urgently to alleviate the crisis caused by the coronavirus. But the lawsuit against Trump is likely to complicate Biden’s legislative agenda.