Washington, United States
US President Joe Biden on Saturday celebrated Senate approval of the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus plan to ease the economic devastation caused by the pandemic, marking the president’s first legislative victory since coming to power last January .
“Today I can say that we have taken a giant step towards fulfilling the promise I made to the Americans when I came to power 45 days ago that aid was on the way,” Biden said in a White House speech. after the Senate approved the deal. rescue package.
“We estimate that this plan will result in the creation of approximately 6 million jobs, more ours GET STARTED in a trillion dollars and will let our country win the competition from the rest of the world because the rest of the world is on the move, China in particular, ”he added.
The rescue package includes new $ 1,400 direct payments to taxpayers with incomes less than $ 80,000 a year, in addition to unemployment benefits and state and local government funds, vaccinations and school reopening.
“85% of US households receive direct payments of $ 1,400 per person,” he said. Biden, and predicted that the stimulus plan will halve child poverty in the country.
“This plan sets us on a path to defeat the virus and provide the help they need to the families who suffer the most,” he stressed.
Biden urged the House of Representatives, which gave the first green light last week, to vote “quickly” to approve the Senate version, which would complete the process for the president to sign and become law.
“This nation has suffered too much for too long,” he stressed.
Bill
The lower house is expected to begin considering the bill passed in the Senate on Tuesday, with the aim of allowing Biden to sign it before the end of next week.
The president delivered his speech nearly two hours after the Senate approved the bailout package, the third approved in the United States since the pandemic began a year ago.
Not a single Republican senator voted in favor of the stimulus plan, which was approved by a narrow margin of 50 to 49, a fact Biden downplayed during his performance.
“The key is that the American people strongly support what we do,” Biden stressed, recalling that several polls have shown that 60% to 70% of citizens support the stimulus plan.
This is the third bailout of the economy approved by the U.S. Congress since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, following the $ 900,000 million bailout promoted by Congress in December and the $ 2.2 trillion bailout promoted in March 2020. was approved, the largest in the country’s history. . EFE