INTEREST AND THEY DON’T HAVE TO
BEGIN TO PAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
AND WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND
THAT, I MIGHT ADD.
TODAY, I’M SIGNING AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER THAT DIRECTS THE WHOLE OF
GOVERNMENT, A WHOLE OF
GOVERNMENT EFFORT TO HELP
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO ARE
BADLY HURTING.
IT REQUIRES ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES
TO DO WHAT THEY CAN DO TO
PROVIDE RELIEF TO FAMILIES,
SMALL BUSINESS, AND COMMUNITIES.
AND IN THE DAYS AHEAD, I EXPECT
AGENCIES TO ACT.
LET ME TOUCH ON TWO WAYS THESE
ACTIONS CAN HELP CHANGE
AMERICANS’ LIVES.
WE NEED TO TACKLE THE GROWING
HUNGER CRISIS IN AMERICA.
ONE IN SEVEN HOUSEHOLDS IN
AMERICA, ONE IN SEVEN, MORE THAN
ONE IN FIVE BLACK AND LATINO
HOUSEHOLDS IN AMERICA REPORT
THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO
EAT.
THAT INCLUDES NEARLY 30 MILLION
ADULTS AND AS MANY AS 12 MILLION
CHILDREN.
AND AGAIN, THEY’RE IN THIS
SITUATION THROUGH NO FAULT OF
THEIR OWN.
IT’S UNCONSCIONABLE.
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
PROVIDES ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY
FOOD AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
FOR TENS OF MILLIONS OF CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES TO ADDRESS THIS
CRISIS.
BUT FAMILIES LITERALLY CAN’T
WAIT ANOTHER DAY.
AS A RESULT OF THE EXECUTIVE
ORDER I’M GOING TO SHORTLY SIGN,
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
WILL CONSIDER TAKING IMMEDIATE
STEPS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE
HARDEST HIT FAMILIES TO ENROLL
AND CLAIM MORE BENEFITS IN THE
CRITICAL FOOD AND NUTRITION
AREA.
THIS CAN HELP TENS OF MILLIONS
OF FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE
WHO CAN’T PROVIDE MEALS FOR
THEIR KIDS, WHO ARE LEARNING
REMOTELY AT HOME, ARE NOT
RECEIVING THE REGULAR MEAL PLANS
THAT THEY HAVE AT SCHOOL FOR
BREAKFAST OR LUNCH.
WE ALSO NEED TO PROTECT THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE
AMERICAN WORKER.
RIGHT NOW, APPROXIMATELY 40% OF
HOUSEHOLDS IN AMERICA HAVE AT
LEAST ONE MEMBER WITH A
PRE-EXISTING CONDITION.
JUST IMAGE, YOU’RE OUT OF WORK,
THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN,
YOU FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT WHILE
YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A JOB, YOU
FIND ONE, AND YOU GET AN OFFER.
BUT THEN YOU FIND OUT THERE’S A
HIGH RISK OF YOUR GETTING
INFECTED WITH COVID-19 BECAUSE
OF YOUR CONDITION, AND YOU AND
YOUR LOVED ONES HAVE AN EVEN
GREATER RISK OF DEATH AND
SERIOUS ILLNESS BECAUSE OF THE
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
SO YOU TURN IT DOWN.
RIGHT NOW IF YOU DID THAT, YOU
COULD BE DENIED UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE, BECAUSE YOU WERE
OFFERED A JOB AND DIDN’T TAKE
IT.
IT’S WRONG.
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND
THEIR OWN HEALTH OR THE HEALTH
OF THEIR LOVED ONES IN THE
MIDDLE OF A DEADLY PANDEMIC.
BECAUSE OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER
THAT I’M ABOUT TO SIGN, I EXPECT
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO
GUARANTEE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE
THE EMPLOYMENT THAT WILL
JEOPARDIZE YOUR HEALTH AND IF
YOU DO SO, YOU’LL STILL BE ABLE
TO QUALIFY FOR THE INSURANCE.
THAT’S A JUDGMENT THE LABOR
DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE.
LOOK, THERE ARE JUST TWO
CONSEQUENTIAL WAYS THAT THAT THE
ACTION I’M TAKING TODAY WILL
HELP PEOPLE IN NEED.
ANOTHER WAY IS BY PAUSING
FEDERAL COLLECTIONS ON
OVERPAYMENTS DEBTS FOR VETERANS.
ANOTHER MAKES SURE THAT FEDERAL
CONTRACTORS ARE RECEIVING
TAXPAYER DOLLARS PROVIDE THEIR
WORKERS WITH THE PAY AND
BENEFITS THEY DESERVE.
THESE ARE WHERE FEDERAL TAX
DOLLARS ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE
TO BUILD THINGS SUCH AS SHIPS TO STAIRCASES.
AND WE LET OUT THE AND RIGHT NOW
THERE ARE UP TO 8 MILLION PEOPLE
THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DIRECT
PAYMENTS BECAUSE OF THECARE CARE
ACT.
THEY’RE ENTITLED TO THOSE
PAYMENTS, BUT NOT AN EASY WAY TO