While millions of Americans were out of work and pushing many people into poverty, President Joe Biden and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday called on Congress to take immediate action on the president’s $ 1.9 billion COVID assistance proposal. 19.
PRESIDENT BODEN: “The choice could not be clearer. We have learned from crises of the past: risk does not do too much, risk does not do enough. It’s time to act now. ”
Yellen, the government’s main figure on the economy, reminded Congress that if he did not act quickly, more people would be left behind.
JANET YELLEN: “If there is no more help, many more people will lose their small businesses, the roofs over their heads and the ability to feed their families … The president’s US rescue plan will help millions of people across the board. this pandemic and it will also make smart investments to get our economy back on track. ”
The pandemic killed nearly 430,000 people in the United States, and attempts to control it have left Americans economically unequal.
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Senate floor that the sharply divided chamber would begin work on robust legislation next week, with or without Republican support to pass it.
SEN. SCHUMER: “We are in the midst of a once in a century crisis. It takes once a century to overcome it. The dangers of suppressing our response far outweigh … If our Republican colleagues decide to oppose this urgent and necessary piece of legislation, we will have to continue without it. ”
Republicans and some Democrats have backed the $ 1.9 billion cost of Biden’s proposal, which is in addition to a $ 4 billion aid bill approved by Congress last year.
But Democrats promise to go ahead and prepare to use a parliamentary instrument called “reconciliation,” which allows Democrats to pass a large portion of Biden’s proposal by a simple majority in the Senate, without Republican support, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the 50-50 Senate casting vote.
Later Friday, on his way to Walter Reed Medical Center, Biden again urged Congress to act – even if the Democrats have to do it alone:
PRESIDENT PRESENTED: “I support the failure of covid relief with the support of Republicans if we can get it, but covid relief must succeed. There is no axis, and or not. ”
Video transcription
– While millions of Americans were out of work and pushing many people into poverty, President Joe Biden and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday called on Congress to take immediate action on the president’s $ 1.9 billion COVID assistance proposal. 19.
JOE BIDEN: The choice could therefore not be clearer. We have learned from past crises that risk does not do too much, and that risk does not do enough. And it’s time to act now.
– Yellen, the government’s main figure on the economy, reminded Congress that if it does not act quickly, more people will be left behind.
JANET YELLEN: When there is no more help, many more people lose their small businesses, the roofs over their heads and the ability to feed their families. The president’s US rescue plan will help millions of people get to the other side of this pandemic, and it will also make smart investments to get our economy back on track.
– The pandemic killed nearly 430,000 people in the United States, and attempts to control it have left Americans economically unequal. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Senate floor that the sharply divided chamber would begin work on robust legislation next week, with or without Republican support to pass it.
CHUCK SCHUMER: We are in the midst of a one-time crisis. It takes a once-in-a-century effort to overcome it. The dangers of suppressing our response are far greater than doing too much too much. But if our Republican colleagues decide to resist this urgent and necessary legislation, we will have to continue without them.
– Republicans and some Democrats approved the $ 1.9 billion cost of Biden’s proposal, which is $ 4 billion in aid, by Congress last year. But the Democrats promise to go ahead and prepare them to use a parliamentary instrument called Reconciliation, which will allow the Democrats to pass much of Biden’s proposal by a simple majority in the Senate without Republicans support, with Vice President Kamala Harris using the Senate 50/50 band-breaking vote. Later Friday, on his way to Walter Reed Medical Center, Biden again urged Congress to act, even if the Democrats have to do it alone.
JOE BIDEN: I support the passing of COVID relief with the support of the Republicans, if we can get it. But the COVID relief must succeed. There is no axis, and or not. Thank you.