President-elect Joe Biden announced his American Rescue Plan as part of his goal of getting control of the pandemic and a $1,400 direct individual payment.

After pushing for Congress to pass a $2,000 stimulus check, Biden’s payment is addition to the bill Congress passed in December with an individual payment of $600.

“Our Rescue and Recovery plan is a path forward with both seriousness of purpose and a clear plan with transparency and accountability with a call for unity that is equally necessary,” Biden said.

But Biden’s proposal would pack a larger punch than Congress’s $900 billion stimulus package.  Biden outlined a $1.9 trillion stimulus package with over $400 billion to combat the pandemic including money for vaccine deployment and mobilizing a public health jobs program. 

“There is real pain overwhelming the real economy,” Biden said.

In his speech Thursday evening, Biden described the real economy currently in America is one where people rely on paychecks to support their necessities and not stock market investments. 

“You will see it very clearly if you examine what the twin crises of a pandemic and this sinking economy have laid bear,” Biden said “The growing divide of those few people at the top, who are doing quite well in this economy, and the rest of America.”

The plan outlines a 100 days to safely reopen most schools plus another $350 billion to assist in jumpstarting state and local government bridge budget shortfalls. 

The proposal also would expand and extend unemployment benefits which includes $400 weekly unemployment insurance supplement until September. 

This is only the beginning of Biden’s plan, by February there is expected to be a second bill to tackle long-term goals such as creating jobs, reforming infrastructure, combating climate change and advancing race inequities and inequalities.

Biden also calls for the extension of eviction and foreclosure moratorium until the end of September.

Biden stressed the need for unity while thanking Republican and Democrat lawmakers who accomplished the first bipartisan Covid relief package but said $600 is not enough as the pandemic continues.

“The very health of our nation is at stake,” Biden said.