With millions of unemployed Americans and many pushed into poverty, President Joe Biden and United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged Congress to take immediate action on the $ 1.9 COVID-19 relief proposal trillion from the president.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: “Therefore, the choice could not be clearer. We learned from previous crises, the risk is not doing much, the risk is not doing enough. This is the time to act now. “
Yellen, the person responsible for government in the economy, reminded Congress that if he doesn’t act quickly, more people will be left behind.
JANET YELLEN: “If there is no more help, many more people will lose their small businesses, the roofs over their heads and the ability to feed their families … The president’s American Rescue Plan will help millions reach the other side of this pandemic and will also make some smart investments to get our economy back on track. “
The pandemic killed almost 430,000 people in the United States and efforts to control it have had an uneven economic impact on Americans.
On Thursday, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, on the Senate floor, said the sharply divided chamber would begin work on robust legislation next week, with or without Republican support to pass it.
SEN. SCHUMER: “We are in the midst of a crisis that occurs once in a century. It takes a century’s effort to overcome it. The dangers of overcoming our response are far greater than overcoming … If our Republican colleagues decide to oppose this urgent and necessary legislation, we will have to move forward without them. “
Republicans and some Democrats declined the $ 1.9 trillion cost of Biden’s proposal, which adds to the $ 4 trillion in aid approved by Congress last year.
But Democrats promise to move forward and are preparing to use a parliamentary tool called “reconciliation,” which would allow Democrats to pass much of Biden’s proposal by simple majority in the Senate, without Republican support, with Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the 50 50 Tie-break vote in the Senate.
Later on Friday, on his way to the Walter Reed Medical Center, Biden again pushed Congress to act – even if Democrats have to act alone:
PRESIDENT BIDEN: “I support passing greedy relief with the support of Republicans if we can, but greedy relief has to pass. There are no ifs, ands or buts. “
Video transcription
– With millions of unemployed Americans and many pushed into poverty, President Joe Biden and United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged Congress to take immediate action on the $ 1.9 COVID-19 relief proposal trillion from the president.
JOE BIDEN: Therefore, the choice could not be clearer. We learned from previous crises that the risk is not doing much, the risk is not doing enough. And now is the time to act.
– Yellen, the government’s chief economic officer, reminded Congress that if he doesn’t act quickly, more people will be left behind.
JANET YELLEN: If there is no more help, many more people will lose their small businesses, the roof over their heads and the ability to feed their families. The president’s American Rescue Plan will help millions of people get to the other side of this pandemic and also make some smart investments to get our economy back on track.
– The pandemic killed almost 430,000 people in the United States and efforts to control it have had an uneven economic impact on Americans. On Thursday, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, on the Senate floor, said the sharply divided chamber would begin work on robust legislation next week, with or without Republican support to pass it.
CHUCK SCHUMER: We are in the midst of a crisis that occurs once every century. It requires an effort that occurs once every century to overcome it. The dangers of overcoming our response are far greater than overcoming. But if our Republican colleagues decide to oppose this urgent and necessary legislation, we will have to move on without them.
– Republicans and some Democrats declined the $ 1.9 trillion cost of Biden’s proposal, which adds to the $ 4 trillion in aid approved by Congress last year. But Democrats promise to move forward and are preparing to use a parliamentary tool called reconciliation, which would allow Democrats to pass much of Biden’s proposal by a simple majority in the Senate without Republican support, with Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the tie 50/50 in the Senate – break vote. Later on Friday, on his way to the Walter Reed Medical Center, Biden again pushed Congress to act, even if Democrats have to act alone.
JOE BIDEN: I support the approval of relief from COVID with the support of Republicans, if we can. But the COVID relief has to go. There is no if, ands or but. Thank you.