US President Joe Biden has signed a slew of executive orders, including one to fix the country’s economy which has been battered by the pandemic and also left approximately 18 million Americans unemployed. Nearly 400,000 small businesses have permanently closed their doors.
Biden announced ‘The American Rescue Plan’ that includes economic relief for most Americans who are in need and to boost economic relief for the people struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. The recovery plan also calls for an increase in the minimum wage at least USD 15 an hour.
“We cannot and will not let people go hungry. We cannot let people be evicted because of nothing they did themselves. We have to act”, said Biden
On January 15, while announcing the USD 1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus plan to revive the US economy, Biden said that millions of Americans through no fault of their own have lost the dignity and respect that comes with a job and a paycheck.
He also said that unemployment insurance benefits will be extended for millions of workers beyond the deadline that is now set.
Biden said that he has directed his administration to extend nationwide restrictions on evictions and foreclosures. The American Rescue Plan would provide emergency funding to keep essential workers on the job and maintain essential services. It will also help small businesses that are the engines of economic growth.
The US is the worst affected country from the pandemic with over 24,818,779 people hit with the coronavirus.
