US President Joe Biden signs landmark COVID-19 relief bill into law

After prolonged anticipation by the people of America, US President Joe Biden signed the COVID-19 relief bill at the White House on Thursday.

The bill got the final legislative approval in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, post which White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki announced that the President will sign the bill on Friday.

However, due to the urgency of the matter, Biden decided to give the executive approval right away. 

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The package, passed by Congress earlier this week, dishes out $1,400 payments to most Americans, helps the unemployed, expands public health care and ramps up funds for vaccinations.

President Biden said the package was crucial in “rebuilding the backbone of this country.”

“In the weeks that this bill has been discussed and debated, it’s clear that an overwhelming percentage of the American people, Democrats, independents, our Republican friends, have made it clear they strongly support the American rescue plan. Yesterday with final passage of the plan in the House of Representatives, their voices were heard, and reflected on everything we have in this bill,” Biden said from the Oval Office, CNN reported.

Biden added, “And I believe this is, and most people I think do as well, this historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation, working people, the middle-class folks, people who built the country a fighting chance. That’s what the essence of it is.”

Although opposed by all Republican lawmakers in Congress, the plan has voter approval ratings of around 60% and was hailed by the IMF on Thursday as potentially juicing global economic recovery.

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“We see potentially significant positive spillovers in terms of global growth,” an IMF spokesman said, AFP reported.

Later Thursday, Biden will deliver his first primetime television address as president.