President Biden, Vice-President Harris and their spouses take the ‘Help is Here’ show on cross-country tour

US president Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses have begun an ambitious, cross-country tour this week to highlight the benefits of his $1.9trn (€1.6trn) plan to defeat the coronavirus and boost the economy.

The road show – dubbed the ‘Help is Here’ tour by the White House – began with Ms Harris heading to a Covid-19 vaccination site and a culinary academy in Las Vegas and first lady Jill Biden touring a New Jersey elementary school.

Mr Biden was to say more from the White House, and is scheduled to visit a small business in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, today. He and the vice president will appear together in Atlanta on Friday.

Ms Harris flew west to Nevada on Air Force Two and she will also make a stop today in Denver to meet small-business owners. Tomorrow sees Ms Biden in Concord, New Hampshire, and Ms Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The stops at vaccination sites, businesses, schools and more are meant to educate the public about different aspects of the giant American Rescue Plan and how it will help people get to the other side of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Biden has said former President Barack Obama’s administration, in which he served as vice president, failed to adequately educate the public about the benefits of its economic recovery plan. The president has said he wants to do a better sales job this time around on the details of his first big legislative victory.

One of the key features is direct payments of $1,400 (€1,175) for a single taxpayer, or $2,800 (€2,350) for a married couple filing their taxes jointly, plus $1,400 per dependent for a total of $5,600 (€4,700) for a married couple with two children. The payments phase out for those with higher incomes.

Mr Biden is also expected to recruit Gene Sperling, a longtime Democratic economic policy expert, to oversee the implementation of the massive stimulus package, according to officials not authorised to speak publicly about personnel matters. Mr Sperling’s position was due to be announced imminently.

An extension of federal unemployment benefits will continue until early September at $300 a week. There’s also $350bn for state, local and tribal governments, $130bn for schools and about $50bn to expand Covid-19 testing, among other measures.

Restaurants and bars forced to close or limit service will take advantage of a new multi-billion-dollar grant programme, and the plan also has tens of billions to help people who have fallen behind on rent and mortgage payments.

The bill cleared Congress without any backing from Republicans, despite polling that found broad public support. Republicans argued the bill was too expensive. Democrats provided the votes and Mr Biden signed it into law last week.

The ‘Help is Here’ tour is taking Ms Harris on her first domestic trip as vice president. She’ll be accompanied by her husband, the nation’s first “second gentleman”.

Since taking office, Ms Harris has presided over swearing-in ceremonies for members of Mr Biden’s Cabinet. She has stood with the president at his speeches, delivered remarks of her own, spoken by telephone with assorted world leaders and made appearances in the Washington. She has also cast three tie-breaking votes in the 50-50 Senate in her role as president of the Senate.

The White House has detailed a theme for each day, scheduling a focus on small businesses, schools, warding off evictions, and direct cheques.

Ms Biden was joined by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on a tour of Samuel Smith Elementary School in Burlington, where she was expected to talk about how the plan will help families and communities.

The first lady has kept a robust schedule focused on education, military families and cancer research since stepping into her new role. Earlier this month, she and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited Connecticut and Pennsylvania public schools that reopened during the pandemic.

Cabinet secretaries will also be out on the tour. Hundreds of mayors and governors, including Republicans, are being lined up to give interviews to discuss what the plan means for their communities.

Online Editors