President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a massive $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill ahead of giving a national address where he was set to urge “hope” on the first anniversary of the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden called the American Rescue Plan “historic” as he signed the package into law in the Oval Office.
The bill, passed by Congress earlier this week, dishes out $1,400 payments to most Americans, helps the unemployed, expands public health care and ramps up funds for vaccinations.
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Although opposed by all Republican lawmakers in Congress, the plan has voter approval ratings of around 60 percent and was hailed by the IMF on Thursday as potentially juicing global economic recovery.
“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation — working people, middle-class folks, people who built the country — a fighting chance,” Biden said.
