One is aimed at improving the employment of federal workers and contractors, which was among the president’s campaign commitments. He sets in motion another executive order that he plans to sign in the first 100 days requiring federal contractors to pay a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour and provide paid emergency leave. It also guides agencies to determine which federal employees are earning less than the minimum and to develop recommendations to promote them to reach $ 15 an hour.
The second executive order aims to provide help in a variety of ways to those who are unemployed or struggling to buy food.
“The American people cannot wait,” said Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, noting that the Census Bureau data shows that almost 30 million people do not always have enough to eat. “And many are hanging on. They need help and we are committed to doing everything we can to provide that help as quickly as possible.”
Biden is expected to sign additional orders in the coming days, according to a calendar document sent to government allies and seen by CNN. His agenda next week includes measures to reinforce demands for the government to buy goods and services from American companies, an effort to eliminate private prisons, reestablish the president’s Council of Science and Technology Advisers, to repeal the so-called political of the City of Federal blocking Mexico funding for non-governmental organizations that provide abortion services and change in border and refugee processing policies, as well as establishing a family reunification task force.
Restoring civil service protections
Friday’s first executive order will also revoke three executive orders signed by then President Donald Trump in 2018 that facilitated the dismissal of federal employees and weakened their unions. The measures have been the subject of litigation and arbitration.
Biden’s move directs agencies to negotiate over permitted and non-mandatory matters in contract negotiations.
Helping needy families
In addition, the order instructs the department to consider allowing states to increase food stamp benefits to about 12 million Americans who have not received a previous increase in their emergency quotas.
And the president is asking the agency to review the revision of its Economic Meal Plan, which is the basis for determining the benefits of food stamps, to better reflect the current cost of a healthy basic diet.
Food insecurity increased during the pandemic amid massive job losses. The relief bill approved by lawmakers in December increases the maximum benefit of the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, as the meal voucher is formally known, by 15% by June. Biden’s relief measure would extend it until September.
In addition, Biden will ask the Treasury Department to consider taking a series of actions to try to reach the nearly 8 million people who may have missed their stimulus payments because they normally do not pay taxes.
And the executive order instructs the Department of Labor to consider clarifying that unemployed Americans can refuse to take jobs that they fear will damage their health and still qualify for unemployment insurance.
This became a problem during the pandemic because some unemployed people are afraid to take jobs that they think will expose them to the virus. States vary in how they handle these situations.
CNN’s Katie Lobosco, Nikki Carvajal and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.