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LAS VEGAS (AP) – From a vaccination site in the western desert to an elementary school on the east coast, President Joe Biden’s best messengers – his vice president and his wife among them – led a transnational effort on Monday to highlight the benefits of its massive COVID relief plan.
Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses launched an ambitious tour this week to promote the $ 1.9 trillion plan to fight the pandemic and stimulate the economy.
The road show – dubbed the “Help is here” tour by the White House – began with Harris visiting a COVID-19 vaccination site and culinary academy in Las Vegas and First Lady Jill Biden visiting an elementary school in New Jersey. Biden himself is leaving on Tuesday.
“We want to avoid a situation where people don’t know what they’re entitled to,” Harris told the Culinary Academy. “It’s not selling it; it literally lets people know their rights. Think of it more as a public education campaign. “
The White House is wasting no time promoting the back-up plan, which Biden signed off last week, seeking to build momentum for the rest of his agenda and anxious to avoid the mistakes of 2009 by boosting the recovery effort. of this year. Even veterans of Barack Obama’s administration admit they haven’t done enough to present their massive economic stimulus package.
Biden stayed in Washington for one day, declaring that “hope is here in a real and tangible way.” He said the new government spending will fund efforts that could lift the nation out of the dual health and economic crisis of the pandemic.
“Gunshots and money in pockets,” Biden told the White House. “This is important. The American Rescue Plan is already doing what it was designed to do: make a difference in people’s daily lives. We are just getting started.”
Biden said that in the next 10 days, his administration will erase two important landmarks: the distribution of 100 million stimulus payments and the administration of 100 million doses of the vaccine. since he took office. To commemorate these milestones, Biden and his key representatives are embarking on their most ambitious travel program of his young presidency, visiting a series of potential states on the electoral battlefield this week.
The sales pitch left Republicans cold.
GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed the dose target Biden set for himself when he took office as “not a bold goal,” but just the pace he inherited. And he mocked Biden’s speech that Americans were just trying to get together in small groups on July 4 as “weird.”
The Biden plan cleared Congress without the backing of Republicans, despite polls finding broad public support. Republicans argued the bill was too expensive, especially with vaccinations progressing against the virus, and included too many provisions not directly related to the pandemic.
After starting the sales campaign with high-profile speeches, Biden will travel to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, then join Harris in Georgia on Friday. Other members of his team visit the important electoral states of Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and New Hampshire. Monday’s trip marked Harris’ first official trip to the office and included an unscheduled stop at a vegan taco stand as well as a coffee stand at the Culinary Academy in Las Vegas.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “We want to take the time to engage directly with the American people and make sure they understand the benefits of the package and how it will help them through this time. difficult.”
The White House detailed a theme for each day, focusing on small businesses, schools, home evictions, and direct checks to most Americans. Jill Biden was joined by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on a Monday tour of Samuel Smith Elementary School in Burlington, where she highlighted the school’s steps to reopen.
But her visit revealed the challenges: In one classroom she visited, only two students were present for in-person learning, while the other 17 were virtual. The first lady sat down at a computer to say hello to distance learners.
“I love being here in a school again: educators, parents and students, the whole school has come together to bring the kids back to the classroom,” she said. “But even with your best efforts, students can’t come, they can’t come every day, which means their parents still have to take time off from work or find childcare solutions. And this school, like schools across the country, cannot fully reopen without help. “
The president also announced on Monday that he had chosen Gene Sperling, a longtime Democratic economic policy expert, to oversee the massive stimulus package, the role Biden himself played for the 2009 economic bailout. The goal, Biden said, is to “stay on top of every dollar spent.”
“I have learned from my experience implementing the Recovery Act how important it is to have someone who can handle all moving parts efficiently, quickly, with integrity and accountability,” said the President.
Key features of the plan include direct payments of $ 1,400 for most single taxpayers, or $ 2,800 for married couples filing jointly, plus $ 1,400 per dependent – a total of $ 5,600 for a married couple. with two children. Payments are phased out for people with higher incomes.
An extension of federal unemployment benefits will continue until September 6 at $ 300 per week. There is $ 350 billion for state, local and tribal governments, $ 130 billion for K-12 schools and about $ 50 billion to expand COVID-19 testing, among other provisions.
Restaurants and bars that have been forced to shut down or limit service can take advantage of a new multibillion-dollar subsidy program, and the plan also provides tens of billions of dollars to help people who have taken delay on rent and mortgage payments.
Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff joined his wife on the trip west, visiting a food relief organization Monday in Las Vegas and participating in a listening session with the organization’s partners. In addition to the president, vice president and their spouses, cabinet secretaries will also be on tour. Hundreds of mayors and governors, including Republicans, are lined up to give interviews to discuss what the plan means for their communities.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was the first to visit a UPS distribution center in Landover, Md., Which also delivers vaccines to the Washington area on Monday.
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Miller reported from Washington. Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writer Hope Yen in Washington contributed.
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