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What's In Biden's COVID Economic Relief Plan?

President Joe Biden sits in the Oval Office as he signs a series of orders at the White House in Washington, DC, after being sworn in at the US Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden sits in the Oval Office as he signs a series of orders at the White House in Washington, DC, after being sworn in at the US Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID economic relief plan is on the table. We talk about President Biden’s first big legislative push.  

Guests

Erica Werner, congressional reporter for the Washington Post, focusing on economic policy. (@ericawerner)

Lily Roberts, managing director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress. (@LilyRoberts12)

Kevin Mumford, associate professor of economics at Purdue University. (@KJMumford)

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Congressman for New York’s 8th congressional district. (@RepJeffries)

Also Featured

Latrish Oseko, she lost her job and lives in Delaware with her boyfriend and 4-year-old daughter.

From The Reading List

Washington Post: “Lawmakers in both parties lobby White House for a more targeted relief bill” — “Lawmakers from both parties lobbied White House officials Sunday for a more targeted relief bill as they questioned the need for some of the items included in President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan.”

Reuters: “‘We can’t wait:’ Biden pushes U.S. Congress for $1.9 trillion in COVID-19 relief” — “The Biden administration and Democratic and Republican lawmakers discussing a new $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief agreed on Sunday that the most important priority should be producing and efficiently distributing a vaccine.”

Center for American Progress: “To save thousands of lives, Congress must extend unemployment benefits and paid leave” — “Predictions for the coming months are dire. In much of the country, the rate of COVID-19 infections is higher than it was last spring. Vaccines are already being administered in the U.K. and should soon begin to be administered in the U.S., but the pandemic is not over yet.”

CNN: “White House holding call with senators to drum up bipartisan support for Covid-19 relief package” — “President Joe Biden’s top economic official is holding a call with a group of senators Sunday afternoon to discuss a Covid-19 relief package, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN, as the White House pushes for bipartisan support of the proposal.”

Wall Street Journal: “Covid-19 Bill Negotiations Offer First Test of Biden’s Bipartisanship Effort” — “President Biden’s push for a sweeping coronavirus-relief bill is emerging as the first test of his pledge to return bipartisanship to Washington, a task made more difficult as partisan lines are hardening in the Senate over the impeachment fate of his predecessor.”

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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