Stimulus – Biden blasted for ‘screwing’ Americans with smaller $1,400 checks and taking credit for Trump’s ideas
JOE Biden is being blasted as he’s accused of “screwing” Americans with smaller $1,400 stimulus checks and taking credit for Trump’s ideas.
The comments came the day after Biden unveiled a $1.9trillion coronavirus stimulus plan – with $1,400 checks, $160billion for vaccines, and an additional $300 to $400 per week in unemployment.
Many Americans had hoped for a fresh round of $2,000 checks.
Under Biden’s plan, however, the next wave of payments would be $1,400 – supplementing the $600 checks that were signed into action by President Trump under a $900billion plan late last year.
“Annoyed Biden pulled a bait & switch on the stimulus checks but slightly shocked he’s including legislation around $15/hr and asking for student loan forgiveness right out the gate,” one user tweeted.
Another user tweeted: “Ya Biden might give us more stimulus, but it’s the principle of the matter.”
“We were told $2000 a check so that is what we should get. Anything less than that is a slap in the face to the people who voted for him,” the user added.
As plans for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Inaugural events were revealed, some said the funds should instead go into the stimulus plan.
One user commented: “we could use that money for the stimulus since Biden and Kamala have already broken their promise on 2000.”
On Facebook, one person commented: “Trumps plan but they held it up so Biden could get credit! Unbelievable!! Americans are hurting Pelosi doesn’t care she has her ice cream.”
As a $900billion package was passed in the House and Senate last year, President Trump initially refused to sign, demanding $2,000 checks in lieu of the $600.
Donald Trump ended up signing the plan into action, however, as Congress was set to head into a shutdown.
Biden himself had pushed for $2,000 – and tweeted about the payments as recently as January 10.
“$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table. We need $2,000 stimulus checks,” Biden wrote.
Progressive Democratic Reps Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush were among those to slam Biden’s checks.
“$1,400 ≠ $2,000,” Bush, a Missouri rep tweeted.
“$2,000 means $2,000. $2,000 does not mean $1,400,” New York’s Ocasio-Cortez told The Washington Post.
The five key takeaways from Biden's new stimulus plans
Joe Biden revealed a shiny new Covid aid plan on Thursday evening. Here’s the top five changes he has suggested:
- A third $1,400 stimulus check for eligible recipients
- $400 per week enhanced unemployment aid
- $15 per hour minimum wage
- Child tax credit boost to $3,600 for children under six and $3,000 for kids between six and 17
- Subsidized health insurance premiums for those that lost employment plan
Unveiling his stimulus plan on Thursday, Biden said there is “real pain overwhelming the real economy, one where people rely on paychecks, not their investments, to pay for their bills and their meals and their children’s needs.”
“It’s not hard to see that we’re in the middle of a once-in-several-generations economic crisis with a once-in-several-generations public health crisis,” the president-elect said.
Although some users were upset about the stimulus amount, others found no problem with the plan.
“Are people not understanding that the $1400 that Biden is offering is to complete the $2000 stimulus check?!? $1400+$600=$2000 am I in the Twilight Zone?!” one user wrote.
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“We have to act, and we have to act now,” he added.
With Democrats controlling both the House and Senate after Biden’s inauguration, the stimulus package could be quickly passed and signed into action.
With some members of the Democratic Party pushing for a fresh wave a full $2,000 checks, however, the package could get held up by members of Biden’s own party.