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Joe Biden dubbed 'moneybagg Joe' for Covid-19 relief bill, Internet says it's 'how you make America great again'

Biden's America Rescue Plan is the second-largest stimulus bill in American history, behind the CARES Act Trump signed for $2 trillion in March 2020

President Joe Biden has signed the Covid-19 relief bill, dubbed the 'American Rescue Plan', into law on March 11. The $1.9 trillion package was passed by both houses of Congress after much debate, leading to a watered-down version of the original bill. With it, Americans can expect checks for $1,400 every month if they are making less than $75,000. The bill also includes massive funding for schools, businesses and local governments.

At the Oval Office, Biden said, "This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation, working people, middle class folks, people who built the country, a fighting chance," before signing the bill. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Americans would get their checks as soon as this weekend, ahead of the original timeline — by the end of the month — laid out by the administration.

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The internet hailed the president for moving so fast on the law. Many on social media referred to him as "moneybagg Joe" for the bill, a key piece of legislation that has been Biden's priority since taking office.

Relief marks a year of the pandemic

Biden's signature comes at a particularly poignant moment. March 11 marks one year since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. In 2020, the date was when the realities of Covid-19 hit many, with millions of businesses shutting down and cities enforcing stay-at-home orders. Since then, America has seen over 29.3M cases (as of March 11) and 530,000 deaths. 

Millions are still unemployed and leaning on social security to make it through the month. Under Trump, the government provided stimulus checks of $600, which many dubbed as too little. Biden's America Rescue Plan is the second-largest stimulus bill in American history, behind the CARES Act Trump signed for $2 trillion in March 2020. That bill though, put more emphasis on businesses and tax cuts. Under Biden, the government is more focused on getting aid to people, including in the form of rental assistance, child tax credits and unemployment benefits. 

Hopefully, this will be the last bill Congress will need to authorize, as vaccinations become more widely available. Many states have begun lifting restrictions, and the economy is slowly on the road to recovery. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projects the US economy will grow by 6.5% this year. That is in part to the direct payments to those in desperate need of it. These people are more likely to spend the money, helping businesses recover and drive growth.

News of the bill being signed made its way to social media, quickly becoming a trending topic. Excited at the prospect of receiving their checks, many African-Americans started referring to Biden as "moneybagg Joe", before the trend caught on. 

'It ain't sleepy Joe no more'

As 'moneybagg Joe' became the norm, many laughed off Trump's nickname for the president on the campaign trail. As one user tweeted, "It ain’t Sleepy Joe no more it’s Moneybagg Joe". Trump became a popular punching bag for many, with another user tweeting, "No Golf and no big mouth. Just results #Biden Moneybagg Joe." One user said, "Moneybagg Joe getting it done sooner than later." Another shared a GIF of Biden and said, "Moneybagg Joe That's my president"

Other users shared morphed images of the president, with one person tweeting, "Moneybagg Joe like #WhereTheMoneyReside in American’s accounts bih! Black Twitter is undefeated!!!" Another tweet said "They're calling Joe Biden Moneybagg Joe now since he signed the stimulus checks. Bruh look at these edits I'm weak. One tweet said "Moneybagg Joe made it rain! That’s how you make America great again.""