JOE'S DOUGH
Biden calls for MORE Covid stimulus checks and says $600 handout is a ‘down-payment’
PRESIDENT-ELECT Joe Biden is calling for the third round of stimulus checks as he says the measly $600 handout was a "down-payment" for the American people.
The incoming president is pushing for another Covid-19 relief bill after public outcry over the - despite Congress deliberating for months as the pandemic raged across the United States.
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"I think you’re seeing that there is a clear understanding that these issues go beyond any ideology," Biden said. "People are desperately hurting, and the Republicans are hurting as badly as Democrats."
Biden didn't specify how large the direct payments would be, but did say he will call for Americans to receive a much larger sum than in the past - and said the precise number was a matter of negotiation.
The former vice president also his former Democratic nominee competitor Senator Bernie Sanders - and Republican Senator Josh Hawley - for their
Congress passed a $900 billion Covid-19 relief package that would provide $600 payments to most Americans. It was based on the initial CARES Act that passed in March and provided Americans with a direct payment of $1,200.
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Additionally, Biden he wanted more in state and local aid as well as increased funds for Covid-19 testing. He also wants to extend unemployment payments past the March expiration the second stimulus package provides for.
Biden warned the effects of Covid-19 have still not been fully felt.
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"One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis, I’m going to tell it to you straight," Biden said in the 10 minute speech. "And here’s the simple truth: our darkest days in this battle against Covid are ahead of us, not behind us."
He also vowed to present his plan to Congress once innaugurated on January 20.
"Congress did its job this week," he said. "It can and must do it again next year."
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