President Biden will sign a pair of executive orders on Friday to help American families and small businesses facing financial difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic.
The first executive order will attempt to maximize existing federal government resources to support families, with an emphasis on providing food assistance to low-income families.
Biden will ask the Department of Agriculture to increase current electronic benefits transfers (EBTs) related to the pandemic by 15% and streamline the process by which Americans claim benefits. In addition, Biden will ask the USDA to increase funds from the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for low-income families.
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The first order clarifies that Americans have the right to withhold their food assistance benefits if they refuse a job opportunity that poses a risk to their health. It contains additional assistance measures for veteran military personnel and calls for the establishment of an interagency structure to coordinate benefit programs for needy Americans.
The second executive order will seek to provide enhanced protection and benefits for federal employees during the pandemic.
Biden will instruct his government to start working on his pledge to deliver a $ 15 minimum wage and paid emergency leave to federal officials within his first 100 days in office. The work will include a review of which agencies currently pay less than $ 15 an hour and make recommendations on how best to implement the salary increase.
The order will strengthen the collective bargaining power of federal workers, among other initiatives aimed at ensuring that they receive the proper benefits, the new government said.
Biden officials said the orders are intended to serve as a substitute until Congress passes another coronavirus stimulus package.
“These actions are not a substitute for comprehensive legislative relief as it is in the American bailout plan, but they will provide a critical lifeline for millions of American families,” said Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, during a briefing. Collective interview. “And that is why the president is going to act quickly in these steps.”
Earlier this month, Biden outlined a $ 1.9 trillion aid package for consideration in Congress, where Democrats hold effective majorities in both chambers. The package includes direct payments of $ 1,400 to Americans, improved unemployment benefits and federal aid to state and local governments, among other measures.
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Republican leaders have been pushing for “targeted” aid, focused on providing aid to small businesses and protecting workplaces from responsibilities during the pandemic. Meanwhile, progressive Democrats have argued that Biden’s proposal does not go far enough to meet the country’s economic needs and should include payments of $ 2,000.
The executive orders were the most recent in a wide range of actions that Biden has taken since entering the Oval Office on Wednesday. The president signed 17 orders on his first day in office and another 10 on Thursday that focused on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.