Joseph Robinette Biden

“ There’s a growing chorus of top economic — top economists that agree that in this moment of crisis, with this — with the interest rates as low as they are — historic lows — it is smart fiscal investment, including deficit spending. And they’re more urgent than ever.
You know, and that return on these investments and jobs and racial equity is going to prevent long-term economic damage and benefits that are going to far surpass the cost. If we don’t act, the rest of the world is not standing still, in terms of the competitive advantage and the competitive possibilities, relative to us. ”

“ We’re 400,000 dead, expected to reach well over 600,000. Families are going hungry. People are at risk of being evicted. Job losses are mounting again. We need to act. No matter how you look at it, we need to act.
If — if we act now, our economy will be stronger in both the short and long run. That’s what economists — left, right, and center — are telling us, both liberal and conservative. ”

“ The American Rescue Plan also addresses the growing housing crisis in America. Approximately 14 million Americans — 14 million — have fallen behind on rent, and many risk eviction. If we fail to act, there’ll be a wave of evictions and foreclosures in the coming months as this pandemic rages on, because there’s nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months. ”

“ Right now, if you did that, you could be denied unemployment insurance because you’re offered a job and you 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. ”

“ Folks, this is one of the cases where business, labor, Wall Street, Main Street, liberal, conservative, economists know we have to act now, not only to help who are in need now, but to allow us to be in the competitive position worldwide and be the leader of the world economy in the next year, and two, and three, and going forward. ”

“ This is going to 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’d have at school for breakfast or lunch. It’s going to also — and we also need to protect the health and safety of the American worker.
Right now, approximately 40 percent of households in America have at least one member with a preexisting condition. Just imagine: You’re out of work through no fault of your own. You file for unemployment while you’re looking for a job. ”

“ And that such investments in our people is going to strengthen our economic competitiveness as a nation and help us outcompete our competitors in the global economy, because we’re going to grow the economy with these investments. ”

“ Our rescue plan will provide flexible grants to help the hardest-hit small businesses survive the pandemic and low-cost capital to help entrepreneurs of all backgrounds create and maintain jobs, plus provide essential goods and services that communities so desperately depend on. ”

“ We’ll extend unemployment insurance benefits for millions of workers, beyond the deadline that is now set. It means that 16 million Americans who are currently relying on unemployment benefits while they look for work can count on these checks continuing to be there in the middle of this crisis. ”

“ No one in America should work 40 hours a week making below the poverty line. Fifteen dollars gets people above the poverty line. We have so many millions of people working 40 hours a week — working — and some with two jobs, and they’re still below the poverty line. ”

“ And now, a lot of these folks are facing eviction, or waiting hours in their cars — literally hours in their cars, waiting to be able to feed their children as they drive up to a food bank. It’s the United States of America and they’re waiting to feed their kids. ”

“ Folks who are able to still keep their job, many have seen their paychecks reduced, and they’ve — and they’re barely hanging on, and wondering what’s next. Sometimes the anxiety about what’s going to happen next is more consequential than what actually happened. ”

“ The American Rescue Plan also includes economic relief for most Americans who are in need. We’re going to finish the job of getting a total of $2,000 in direct payments to folks. Six hundred dollars, which was already passed, is simply not enough if you still have to choose between paying your rent and putting food on the table. ”

“ These small businesses are the glue that hold — and they’re important — but these small businesses hold the community — are the glue that hold these communities together. They are hurting badly, and they account for nearly half of the entire U.S. workforce. ”

“ But then you find out there’s a high risk of you getting infected with COVID-19 because of your condition. You and your loved one — and you and your loved ones have ever even greater risk of death and serious illness because of the preexisting conditions, so you turn it down. ”

“ It’s a plan that will make historic investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, innovation, research and development, and clean energy, and so much more that’s going to create millions more jobs — good-paying jobs, not minimum wage jobs. ”

“ Right now, there are up to 8 million people that are eligible for direct payments from the CARES Act and the relief bill passed in December. They are entitled to those payments, but there’s not an easy way for those folks to assess — access them. ”