Varun Reddy
Jan 25, 20212 min
Updated: Jan 28, 2021
As COVID-19 continues to spread with speed, the Biden administration is wasting no time getting to work. With hopes of containing the virus and providing vaccine accessibility for all, the White House is pushing for a $1.9 trillion relief package.
Biden signed a series of orders Thursday designed to promote mask wearing and streamline production of Covid vaccines and protective equipment, among other goals. The executive actions fit into Biden’s early push to curb the outbreak and mitigate its damage to the economy.
Early critiques from republican senators Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski has led to uncertainty about the relief bills hefty price tag. The debate comes to whether there is a need for another relief bill following the $900 billion measure passed by congress just over a month ago. Biden continues to emphasize that regardless of a minor negative impact on the economy from the price of the relief bill, the benefits of controlling the pandemic outweigh all other costs.
The virus’s lingering impacts continue to stay relevant as 900,000 Americans file for unemployment benefits. The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 6.7% in December, which, before the global Covid-19 crisis, would be the highest jobless rate since March 2014. This evidence is cited for the support of the $1.9 trillion relief package as it’s claimed that, “The economy is moving in the wrong direction.”
Despite the debates that have risen following the inauguration of the 46th President, one thing for sure is that the spread of the virus has not decelerated. As the virus continues to spread and, just recently, mutated versions of the virus are being discovered, the future of the economy and well-being of the people of America remains uncertain.
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