MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

What is Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 plan? $1,400 stimulus checks are 'reassuring', says Internet

The package proposal includes spending $20B on a national vaccination program, $1,400 stimulus checks and expanding unemployment insurance supplements to $400 per week

President-elect Joe Biden introduced a $1.9 trillion spending package on Thursday, January 14, that aims to speed distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines and provide economic relief owing to the pandemic.

The package proposal includes spending $20B on a national vaccination program, $1,400 stimulus checks and expanding unemployment insurance supplements to $400 per week. Biden presented the package at a primetime speech scheduled for 7.15 pm ET. Biden will also talk about a recovery plan that he will introduce in February 2021, Biden transition officials said during a call with reporters on January 14.

Biden’s proposed relief package comes after a month since Congress passed a $900B Covid-19 relief package in December, which Biden said at the time was a “down payment". His relief plan will build off the bipartisan relief legislation passed in December.

Biden is suggesting $1,400 stimulus checks in addition to the $600 direct payments passed in December. Democrats, as well as President Donald Trump, pushed for $2,000 in the December legislation. Biden’s relief package also lays out his vaccine distribution plan.

The national vaccination program will be in partnership with states, tribes and territories. It will station mobile vaccination units in areas that are hard to reach and make the vaccine free for everyone in the country. The relief plan also includes $50M to expand testing for Covid-19, purchase rapid testes, invest in expanding lab capacity and help the school and local governments implement testing protocols.

The plan also includes:

- $170B to help reopen schools, as well as provide monetary relief to students
- Increase to 14 weeks paid sick and family and medical leave 
- $25B in rental compensation and an additional $5B to cover home energy and water expenses
- Extending the 15 percent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits extension to September 2021
- $15B for grants to more than 1M small companies
- A $20B investment to Indian Country to assist the tribal governments' response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As soon as the news made its way to social media, people started talking about it. As one Internet user said, "It was kind of surreal to hear about Biden's $1.9 trillion and know that many of the ideas originated with @BernieSanders. So, #ThankYouBernie." While another one said, "Biden’s 1.9 Trillion COVID relief is on point!! Finally true leadership!!"

Complementing the plan proposed by him, one person wrote, "After 4 years of feeling like a cat trying to run on a treadmill @JoeBiden is definitely the level of Zen I need right now. Even though it’s undeniably a lot of money, I support Biden’s 1.9 Relief Bill. #bebetteramerica." Another Internet user said: "It's so comforting and reassuring to leasing to a real president again. Biden's 1.9 trillion Covid19 plan is going to revolutionize our country."

And some slammed the president-elect saying: "Biden Breaks Promise For $2,000 Stimulus Checks — Only 4 Days Ago — Reduces Checks to $1,400 @JoeBidenn is lying before he is sworn in. Biden's $1.9 trillion plan is far below the $3 trillion passed by House Democrats on 5/15/20," and "Too bad Biden’s $1.9 trillion Democrat fund is only a pipe dream, since he’ll never be President"