What to know about Biden’s COVID relief plan and stimulus checks

President Joe Biden at his inauguration. Source.

Even before President Joe Biden was inaugurated last week, he made clear that the immediate priority and central goal of his administration is to get the COVID-19 crisis under control and address the economic devastation the pandemic has brought to America. To do so, President Biden immediately signed a slew of executive orders focused on COVID response, including requiring masks for interstate travel and orders aimed at increasing the availability of testing. But the centerpiece of Biden’s COVID response is a $1.9 trillion rescue and relief package containing $1,400 stimulus checks, increased vaccine funding, extended and expanded unemployment benefits, state and local government aid, and more. However, this ambitious package faces many obstacles in Washington and it may take longer than President Biden would want for Americans to get the COVID relief so many desperately need. 

Biden’s stimulus plan, called the American Rescue Plan, is one of the largest and most expensive government stimulus packages in American history. The highlights of the package include sending each American a $1,400 stimulus check — following through on Democrats’ promises for a total of $2,000 per person in aid — $350 billion for state and local government aid, $50 billion for testing, $20 billion for vaccine programs, increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, increasing unemployment benefits to $400 per week and extending benefits, $170 billion for schools and education, and extending the eviction and foreclosure moratoriums. Biden and his team recognize the high price tag of the package, but insist it is absolutely necessary for the country’s recovery: Biden said, “I know what I just described does not come cheaply, but failure to do so will cost us dearly” because “the crisis of human suffering is in plain sight, and there’s no time to waste.” 

Biden is hoping to receive bipartisan support in Congress for this plan, and House and Senate leaders — where Democrats control both chambers — have already expressed support. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement calling the package “the right approach” and saying that they “will get right to work” to pass it. The bill will likely pass the House easily; however, it still faces significant obstacles. In particular, there is notable opposition from Republican politicians, especially in the Senate, where 60 votes would be needed to pass the bill through normal Senate procedures. Otherwise, Democrats would have to resort to passing the bill through a process called budget reconciliation, which would only require a simple majority. The main theme of Republicans’ opposition to the bill is that it is too large and is too soon after the previous COVID relief bill passed in December. Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, said of the bill: “it’s too high. It’s too vague . . . I don’t just want to throw money out there.” Other Republican Senators echoed this sentiment and predicted the bill’s failure, including Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, who commented that “they have to know this is not going to get anywhere. . . No, it cannot get 60 votes.” 

Further, beyond Republican opposition, the Biden administration and Senate Democrats must navigate balancing the upcoming Senate trial for President Trump’s impeachment for his role in the Capitol riot and confirming Biden’s cabinet nominees with time they’d like to spend on the COVID relief bill. All three are important priorities for Democrats, but they must figure out how to use their legislative time available most effectively to meet their goals. The impeachment trial has been delayed two weeks to accommodate for this, but two weeks would still be a very fast timeline for Congress to pass such an expensive and far-reaching bill. With this crowded schedule and time crunch, Biden will face a tough decision whether to attempt to gather bipartisan support for his COVID relief bill with the goal of receiving 60 votes, or choose to pass the package through budget reconciliation. 

Despite these challenges, the Biden administration still remains optimistic about the bill’s future and insistent that it is a necessary step for America in this challenging time. Biden’s Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, said that Biden “feels the package is designed for bipartisan support” and recently the U.S Chamber of Commerce, a conservative leaning business interest group, endorsed Biden’s plan, saying that they “look forward to working with the new administration and Congress” to pass the plan. Getting this bill passed, of which Biden said, “we cannot afford not to do,” will be a major early test for the Biden administration. So, it is not easy to predict if or when Biden’s COVID relief package will pass, and hence difficult to know when Americans may receive their next stimulus check