WILMINGTON, Del. (KYW Newsradio) — President-elect Joe Biden proposed an ambitious $1.9 trillion aid package in an address Thursday from Wilmington.
Biden calls his proposal the American Rescue Plan and promises it will address both the public health and the economic crises stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
It includes the administering of 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days, with an emphasis on immunizing teachers so schools may reopen in the same time frame.
It would reinstate an eviction moratorium and provide direct food aid, as well as 1,400 payments for American workers.
“I know what I just describe does not come cheaply but failure to do so will cost us dearly,” he said.
Biden said it’s the only way to put the country on the path of long-term economic health but said that’s not the only reason to do it.
“I believe we have a moral obligation. In this pandemic, in America, we cannot let people go hungry. We cannot let people get evicted,” he said.
He called for prompt action from Congress, which his party will soon control.