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Biden’s $1.9 trillion recovery plan: Here’s what you need to know

By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com
By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden is proposing a $1.9 trillion plan to expand coronavirus vaccinations, help individuals and jump-start the economy.

[Joe Biden unveils 2-step, $1.9 trillion recovery plan]

Stimulus checks:

  • People who qualify will get another $1,400. It’s not clear who will qualify or how much children would get.
  • The plan includes adult dependents. They were left out of the first two rounds of stimulus. For example, many college students didn’t get stimulus checks, and their parents didn’t get money for them either
  • Biden’s plan also includes families with mixed immigration status.

Vaccine:

  • The plan calls for 100,000 health care workers to speed up the vaccination process.
  • $20 billion would go to more vaccination centers, including mobile facilities.
  • 50 billion would go to rapid tests, labs and even schools -- so they can do testing, as well.
  • The proposal promises to help people on Medicaid get the vaccine more easily.

[County-by-county guide: Here’s when, where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine]

Paid time off for employees who:

  • Get COVID-19
  • Are in quarantine
  • Stay home to take care of loved ones
  • Stay home because their children are learning remotely

Congress passed a law earlier in the pandemic for those workers. Employers with a certain number of workers had to give them up to 80 hours of paid sick leave. That didn’t include some of the people who needed it most, such as people on the front lines. The law expired in December.

Biden’s plan would extend the benefits to the end of September and would apply to most workplaces. It would include front line workers.

Minimum wage:

  • Now, it’s $7.25 per hour
  • The plan would raise that to $15 per hour

Hazard pay:

  • The plan calls for employers to pay essential workers hazard pay and make it retroactive for last year

Employers:

  • Congress already extended PPP loans, but this would throw in another $15 billion for small business grants and $35 billion for low-interest loans

Biden to unveil plan for $1,400 payments, unemployment extension (NCD)


Cox Media Group

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