President Biden isn’t wasting any time in his bid to provide relief to the most vulnerable Americans pushed to the brink by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, his second full day in office, he signed two executive orders that expand food assistance for low-income families, ensure that all Americans get their stimulus checks, protect workers from the pandemic’s workplace hazards and pave the way to a $15 minimum wage for federal workers and contractors.
USA TODAY economics reporter Paul Davidson breaks down what the orders mean, how many people they could affect and what their impact could be:
Why are these executive actions needed? Hasn’t Congress already approved COVID-19 relief legislation, and hasn’t Biden proposed additional aid in another bill?
Yes, Congress recently passed a $900 billion relief package that provides more aid to the unemployed and struggling small businesses, a $600 check to most individuals and more money for vaccine distribution. And Biden is proposing an additional $1.9 trillion measure that would extend and expand the unemployment assistance, send another $1,400 check to most Americans, provide rental assistance and extend a 15% increase in food stamp benefits through September, among other provisions.
But passing legislation can take some time and could be further delayed by former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate. So Biden is signing the executive orders, which don’t require Congress’s approval, to rapidly assist the neediest and most vulnerable Americans.
How many people are struggling to put food on the table?
An estimated 29 million adults in at least 8 million children are coping with food insecurity.
How will these executive actions help?
An existing program, called Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, was intended to replace school meals that children from low-income families missed because of COVID-19-related school closures. But the program only provides up to $5.70 per child each day and many households have trouble claiming the benefits. Biden is asking the Agriculture Department to consider new guidance that would increase the amount by 15% and make it easier for households to claim the money. A family with three children could receive more than $100 in additional support every two months.
Also, Congress authorized emergency increases to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, to help address food insecurity during the pandemic. But as many as 12 million low-income people didn’t get the allotment because the Trump administration determined that 40% of families already receiving SNAP benefits weren’t eligible. The executive action could boost the benefit for a family of four by 15% to 20% a month.