Six days before his inauguration, President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled the framework of his first major legislative priority—a $1.9-trillion “American Rescue Plan” that seeks to address immediate problems stemming from the persistent coronavirus pandemic. The legislation would fund activities such as a stepped-up vaccination push, further payments to individuals, extended and increased unemployment benefits and expanded paid family leave, plus substantial aid to state and local governments and to schools.
The rescue plan, which Biden unveiled in a Jan. 14 speech in Wilmington, Del., has little or no infrastructure or construction-related funding.