THE WHITE HOUSE.
HERE HE IS, EVERYBODY, PRESIDENT
BIDEN SPEAKING ABOUT THE
SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE OF THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
>> I PROMISED THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE HELP WAS ON THE WAY.
TODAY, I CAN SAY WE’VE TAKEN ONE
MORE GIANT STEP FORWARD IN
DELIVERING ON THAT PROMISE THAT
HELP IS ON THE WAY.
I WANT TO THANK -- START OUT BY
THANKING THE VICE PRESIDENT.
BUT I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE
SENATORS WHO WORKED SO HARD TO
REACH A COMPROMISE TO DO THE
RIGHT THING FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE DURING THIS CRISIS AND
VOTED TO PASS THE AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN.
IT OBVIOUSLY WASN’T EASY.
IT WASN’T ALWAYS PRETTY.
BUT IT WAS SO DESPERATELY
NEEDED, URGENTLY NEEDED.
ALSO -- I ALSO NEED TO SAY A FEW
WORDS ABOUT THE MAJORITY LEADER,
CHUCK SCHUMER, WHO I SPOKE WITH
MANY TIMES IN THIS AND AGAIN,
THIS MORNING.
I SERVED IN THE SENATE, AS YOU
ALL KNOW, FOR MANY YEARS.
I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE WORK AS
SKILLFULLY AS
SKILLFULLY, AS ABLY, AS
PATIENTLY WITH DETERMINATION TO
DELIVER SUCH A CONSEQUENTIAL
PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WAS SO
URGENTLY NEEDED AS THE AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN, CHUCK SCHUMER,
SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER, WHEN THE
COUNTRY NEEDED YOU MOST, YOU
LED, CHUCK.
AND YOU DELIVERED.
NEITHER I NOR THE COUNTRY WILL
EVER FORGET THAT.
AND IT’S NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON.
I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE
URGENCY OF THIS NEED.
FOR OVER A YEAR, THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WERE TOLD THEY WERE ON
THEIR OWN.
THEY WERE SEEN -- WE’VE SEEN HOW
HARD THAT HAS BEEN ON SO MANY
AMERICANS.
AS OF LAST NIGHT, 519,064 LIVES
LOST TO THE VIRUS.
THAT MANY EMPTY CHAIRS THIS
MORNING, THE BREAKFAST TABLE,
GONE.
MORE THAN 400 SMALL BUSINESSES
CLOSED UNNECESSARILY.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT OF WORK
THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT.
THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
FOOD BANK LINES STRETCHING FOR
MILES.
DID ANY OF YOU EVER THINK YOU’D
SEE THAT IN AMERICA?
AND CITIES ALL ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY?
FAMILIES FACING THE THREAT OF
EVICTION.
THIS NATION HAS SUFFERED TOO
MUCH FOR MUCH TOO LONG, AND
EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE IS
DESIGNED TO RELIEVE THE
SUFFERING AND TO MEET THE MOST
URGENT NEEDS OF THE NATION AND
PUT US IN A BETTER POSITION TO
PREVAIL.
STARTING WITH BEATING THIS VIRUS
AND VACCINATING THE COUNTRY.
THE RESOURCES IN THIS PLAN WILL
BE USED TO EXPAND AND SPEED UP
MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION
OF VACCINES SO WE CAN GET EVERY
SINGLE AMERICAN VACCINATED
SOONER THAN LATER.
I BELIEVE BY -- WE’LL HAVE
ENOUGH BY THE END OF -- BY THE
MIDDLE OF MAY TO VACCINATE --
IT’S GOING TO TAKE LONGER TO GET
IN THEIR ARMS BUT THAT’S HOW
MUCH VACCINE WE’LL HAVE.
BECAUSE OF ALL THE FUNDING,
WE’LL BE ABLE TO HIRE MORE
VACCINATORS, SET UP MORE
VACCINATION SITES TO GET THE
COUNTRY IN A PLACE TO GET BACK
TO NORMAL.
THIS PLAN WILL GET CHECKS OUT
THE DOOR STARTING THIS MONTH TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO SO
DESPERATELY NEED THE HELP.
MANY OF WHOM ARE LYING IN BED AT
NIGHT, STARING AT THE CEILING,
WONDERING, WILL I LOSE MY JOB IF
I HAVEN’T ALREADY?
WILL I LOSE MY INSURANCE?
WILL I LOSE MY HOME?
OVER 85% OF AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS
WILL GET DIRECT PAYMENTS OF
$1,400 PER PERSON.
FOR A TYPICAL MIDDLE CLASS
FAMILY OF FOUR, HUSBAND AND WIFE
WORKING, MAKING $100,000 A YEAR
TOTAL, WITH THREE KIDS, THEY’LL
GET $5,600.
WITH TWO KIDS, $5,600.
AND IT WILL BE ON THE WAY SOON.
THAT MEANS THE MORTGAGE CAN GET
PAID.
THAT MEANS THE CHILD CAN STAY IN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THAT MEANS MAINTAINING HEALTH
INSURANCE YOU HAVE.
IT’S GOING TO MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE IN SO MANY LIVES IN
THIS COUNTRY.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS WILL BE
EXTENDED FOR 11 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR
JOBS, WHO LAST NIGHT, AGAIN,
WERE LYING IN BED THINKING, MY
LORD, I’M GOING TO LOSE MY
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IN A WEEK
OR SO.
IT WAS ABOUT TO EXPIRE.
SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO HAVE THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO OPEN
SAFELY.
STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
THAT HAVE LOST TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS WILL HAVE
THE RESOURCES THEY NEED
AVAILABLE TO THEM.
TO THOSE LAID OFF POLICE
OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, TEACHERS
AND NURSES THEY CAN REHIRE.
THESE ARE ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL.
LOOK, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
LOWERS HEALTHCARE PREMIUMS.
FOOD NUTRITION ASSISTANCE.
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT 24
MILLION ADULTS AND 11 MILLION
CHILDREN, AS I SPEAK, IN THE
UNITED STATES SUFFER FROM FOOD
INSECURITY.
THAT MEANS SIMPLY THEY DON’T
HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT.
DID YOU EVER IMAGINE IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA YOU’D
SEE LINES, LITERALLY MILES LONG,
FOLKS IN THEIR AUTOMOBILES
WAITING FOR A BOX OF FOOD TO BE
PUT IN THEIR TRUNK.
I STOOD IN LINE HANDING OUT
FOOD.
THE PEOPLE COMING UP NEVER,
EVER, EVER THOUGHT THEY’D BE IN
THAT POSITION.
THIS WILL HELP FAMILIES WHO ARE
BEHIND ON THEIR RENT AND
MORTGAGE PAYMENTS SO THEY AREN’T
THROWN OUT OF THEIR HOMES.
LOOK, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS.
THIS PLAN PUTS US ON A PATH TO
BEATING THE VIRUS.
THIS PLAN GIVES THOSE FAMILIES
WHO ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST THE
HELP AND THE BREATHING ROOM THEY
NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS MOMENT.
THIS PLAN GIVES SMALL BUSINESSES
IN THIS COUNTRY A FIGHTING
CHANCE TO SURVIVE.
AND ONE MORE THING.
THIS PLAN IS HISTORIC.
TAKEN ALL TOGETHER, THIS PLAN IS
GOING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO CUT
CHILD POVERTY IN HALF.