White House Pushes Relief Bill As Unemployment Is Rising Fast

The White House stressed how critical it is that Congress acts “quickly” on President Biden’s proposals for economic relief after a new report came out showing 900,000 Americans filed for new claims for unemployment last week.

Brian Deese, the White House National Economic Council Director, called the job’s report “a stark reminder that we must act now” in order to get “immediate relief to families and spur our economy.”

On Thursday, Deese said, “900,000 more Americans filed claims for unemployment because they are out of work in an economy that is moving in the wrong direction. We must act now to get this virus under control, stabilize the economy, and reduce the long-term scarring that will only worsen if bold action isn’t taken.”

Deese said Biden has outlined a set of “decisive actions” in the American Rescue Plan to “extend unemployment insurance, finish the job in providing $2,000 in direct relief to Americans, and ensure that millions of our families who are struggling to make ends meet, put food on the table, and keep a roof over their head in the midst of this crisis are able to get to the other side with dignity.”

During his first day in office, Biden took executive action to extend eviction and foreclosure moratoriums to March 31 and extended the pause on federal student loan payments and interest through Sept. 30.

Deese, earlier this week, said the emergency measures “are important,” but said they are “not a substitute,” and urged Congress to pass legislation.

Biden last week unveiled a massive $1.9 trillion stimulus package proposal which aims to combat the coronavirus and begins to pump up a U.S. economy severely battered by the worst pandemic to strike the globe in a century.

Over $1 trillion of that total price tag is for direct relief to individuals and families.

Biden’s plan would also extend and expand unemployment insurance benefits “so American workers can pay their bills” and would push to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

As of right now, it’s unclear when Congress will begin negotiations on Biden’s proposal.