WASHINGTON (AP) – A year after the nation was nearly brought to a standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden presented Thursday night his plan to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and bring the country ‘closer to normal’ through the fourth of July. He uses his first prime-time address to offer Americans new hope and to call for their help once again.
In the East Room of the White House, Biden will announce steps to speed up vaccinations, including instructions that all states must make all adults eligible for doses by May 1. Looking ahead to his comments, senior officials said Biden would also announce steps to increase the number of seats. and categories of people who can give shots, with the aim of having Americans gather at least in small groups for the Independence Day holiday.
Biden marks a year since the outbreak of the pandemic that killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity to pre-empt Biden’s comments, officials said Biden would announce he would deploy an additional 4,000 active troops to support vaccination efforts and allow more people – such as medical students, veterinarians and dentists. To deliver shots. He is also sending more doses to some 950 community health centers and up to 20,000 pharmacies to make it easier for people to get vaccinated.
Biden will require states and territories to make all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1, as the country expects to have enough supplies to fully vaccinate adults by the end of that month. However, the process of actually administering those doses will take time.
Despite being optimistic, officials said Biden would make it clear that the July 4 timetable requires the cooperation of Americans to continue wearing face covers, maintain social distance, and follow federal guidelines designed to prevent the spread of the virus. short-term delay. He will also call on them to roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as they become eligible.
“This is a nationwide effort,” said White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain. “The president is using our entire government to do its part. The American people will also have to do their part. “
The speech comes hours after Biden signed a $ 1.9 trillion aid package on Thursday that he says will help the US defeat the virus and restore the economy to health. Some of the direct checks to Americans could start this weekend.
“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.
Most notable for many Americans are amenities that provide up to $ 1,400 in direct payments, some of which could end up in bank accounts this weekend, and weekly emergency unemployment benefits could be expanded from $ 300 through early September. Also included are extended tax credits for the coming year for children, childcare and family leave – some of them credits that the Democrats have indicated they want to make permanent – plus expenses on tenants, nutrition programs, and people’s bills.
The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package on Wednesday by a vote near party 220-211, seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill. Republicans in both houses were unanimous against the legislation, characterizing it as bloated, full of liberal policies and disregarding signs that the crises are receding.
Biden originally planned to sign the bill on Friday, but it arrived at the White House faster than expected.
“We want to move as soon as possible,” tweeted Chief of Staff Klain.
Ahead of his Thursday night comments, Biden said he would “talk about what we’ve been through as a nation over the past year, but more importantly, I’m going to talk about what comes next.”
Biden’s challenge is to honor the sacrifices of Americans while encouraging them to remain vigilant despite “virus fatigue” and growing impatience to resume normal activities, given the tantalizing promise of vaccines. Speaking of the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a pandemic, he will mourn the dead but also radiate optimism about the future.
“This is an opportunity for him to really shine in everyone’s living room and be both the grieving chief and explain how he is running the country out of here,” said Douglas Brinkley, president of the president and professor at Rice University.
“This is a great moment,” added Brinkley. “He needs to win hearts and minds so that people stay masked and get vaccinated, but also recognize that the federal government hasn’t forgotten you after last year.”
Biden’s evening remarks in the East Room are central to a pivotal week for the president as he tackles the defining challenge of his tenure: herding the nation through the dual public health and economic storms caused by the virus.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the first guidelines for how vaccinated people can resume some normal activities. On Wednesday, Congress approved the president’s $ 1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan”, which aims to reduce the virus’s economic impact on tens of millions of people. And the country was well on track to deliver its 100 millionth dose of vaccine as soon as possible on Thursday.
Almost exactly a year ago, President Donald Trump addressed the nation to mark the WHO’s declaration of a global pandemic. He announced travel restrictions and called on Americans to practice good hygiene, but raised little alarm about the impending catastrophe. Trump, it was later revealed, acknowledged that he had deliberately “toned down” the threat posed by the virus.
For Biden, who has pledged to be on par with the American public following the alternate reality of Trump’s virus talk, it is imperative to strike the right balance “between optimism and sadness,” said Princeton history professor and presidential scholar Julian Zelizer.
“In general, the country loves optimism, and at this particular moment they are desperate for optimism, but you cannot risk a ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment,” he said, warning of any premature statement that the threat has been overcome. .
Fifty days after his presidency, Biden experiences a polling honeymoon that his predecessor never enjoyed.
According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published last week, 70% of Americans support the Democratic president’s handling of the virus response, including 44% of Republicans.
The White House hopes that when Biden takes on the role of cheerleader for the virus-fighting package, the elements of the $ 1.9 trillion bill popular with Republicans will further increase his support.