Biden to take on role of salesman
President will talk up relief package in upcoming trips
WASHINGTON — In 2009, then-Vice President Joe Biden was “Sheriff Joe,” the enforcer making sure federal dollars from a massive economic aid package were getting to the right places and quickly.
This time, President Biden’s role is different: He’s lead salesman for the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid package, eager to score political points as Americans begin to reap benefits from the massive government relief effort.
Biden signed the bill into law Thursday and then extolled it in a prime-time address to the nation that night. On Friday, he celebrated the package with Democratic lawmakers in his first Rose Garden event as president.
Biden said Friday that he would draw on his experiences in 2009, saying he worked four to five hours daily for six months to ensure that the stimulus succeeded. That same type of focus will be needed for coronavirus relief.
“The devil is in the details,” the president said. “It’s one thing to pass the American Rescue Plan. It’s going to be another thing to implement it. It’s going to require fastidious oversight to make sure there’s no waste or fraud and the law does what it’s designed to do. And I mean it. We have to get this right.”
The White House has plotted an ambitious campaign to showcase the law’s contents while looking to build momentum for future, more
difficult parts of the president’s sweeping agenda. Biden will travel to Pennsylvania and Georgia next week to talk it up, and other top administration officials will fan out around the country to do likewise.
West Wing aides say there is a determination to avoid the mistakes of more than a decade earlier, when President Barack Obama’s administration didn’t do enough to promote its own economic recovery plan. But Biden gets a measure of credit for the successful implementation of the plan itself, according to veterans of the Obama administration.
Biden wound up with
oversight of the government’s mammoth $787 billion stimulus plan after he wrote Obama a memo about how it should be run, and he savored his role as the program’s top cop. He said he had not “yet” looked at his vice president, Kamala Harris, to play the same role on COVID-19 aid.
Back then, Biden held weekly conference calls with mayors, governors and others to press for wise use of the money. He estimated that he spoke with over 160 mayors and every governor but one — Alaska Republican Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee in the 2008 election.
Biden also called regular Cabinet meetings to keep
the Washington end of the program on track. At one 2009 Cabinet meeting, Biden pressed federal officials to give him a quick heads-up when projects fell behind schedule, saying, “You’ve gotta give me more ammo so I can pick up the phone and be the sheriff.”
Biden used his role as “Sheriff Joe” to cut red tape and “get the stimulus itself into the economy,” said Robert Gibbs, who was Obama’s press secretary at the time. He predicted that Biden would be equally relentless in selling the relief package this time.
“I would be surprised if two days passed in the next
four years when you don’t hear discussion about the legislation,” Gibbs said. “This is so important that it is literally something you say during the last rally of your reelection campaign.”
Biden is expected to appoint someone to oversee implementation of the COVID-19 relief plan. And while Biden himself will not be as in the weeds this time, aides still expect to get plenty of questions from him about exactly where and when the money is moving.
“He will play a different role: He is also the commander in chief and overseeing an economic recovery, overcoming the pandemic and addressing a range of crises,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “But in his soul, he is a details guy and he will want to roll up his sleeves and call the local mayor, governor, school district to make sure the money gets out the door.”
There are challenges that lie ahead for Biden, although White House aides point to polling that shows the package is popular with Republican voters even though not a single GOP lawmaker voted for it. No Republicans attended the Rose Garden victory lap.
Biden’s White House has embraced the strategy of underpromising and then overdelivering, allowing it to frequently beat target dates and goals on, for instance, vaccine distribution.
But in his speech Thursday night, Biden laid out an ambitious timeline for all adult Americans to be eligible for the vaccine by May 1 and dangled the prospects of life getting closer to normal by July 4. And while he attached caveats about a possible virus surge, Biden’s new timeline generated pressure to meet the bold headlines it produced.
Republicans, who are trying to label the COVID19 relief bill as partisan, believe that they will be able to mount a far more effective pushback to the Biden administration when the president moves into more polarizing parts of his agenda such as immigration, climate change and voting rights.
“Less than two months into his presidency, and Biden is showing he never truly meant his promises of bipartisanship and unity,” said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
Tarot.com
Aries (March 21-April 19):
The problems of yesterday are melting away, and you’re wondering what you were so concerned about. If you can let go of the direction of your day, you’ll be taken on a more leisurely path and have the opportunity to take in an artful experience.
Taurus (April 20-May 20):
Your friends are bringing you optimism in the form of reassurance, funny stories, gifts or acts of service. Let them take you on a little journey or spend time talking to them on the phone without a time limit. Your energy will be replenished once you’ve spent time with loved ones.
Gemini (May 21-June 20):
By taking the path of least resistance in your career, everything may begin to bloom. It seems you’re beating your head against the wall trying to complete a project. Take a breather, and view this issue from a new perspective. Odds are, it will be no match for your refreshed brain.
Cancer (June 21-July 22):
This will be a highly spiritual day for you, where the material world has less to offer than your inner world. Look into sacred practices that have been calling your name. Try something new. Learn from your inner voice as it pushes you toward this higher purpose.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):
Wherever the need arises for you today, someone will be there to help. This is all thanks to your kind actions toward others in the past, and even if you forgot about these times, they didn’t. You’re also likely to see returns on good investments that you made.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Your relationships appear smooth now, so there’s no need to disrupt this calming energy with suspicion. Sometimes when people are being nicer to us than usual, we start to look for the negative side rather than accept the gift of kindness. Let doubts exist without letting them take over your mind.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
If there were ever a day for indulging in self-care, this is it. Your routine appears less hectic than normal. Pamper yourself, and go the extra mile when it comes to your exercise and beauty habits. You’ll feel better knowing you invested time in yourself and are set for tomorrow.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Imaginative excitement is on the table for you, and you will feel like a kid again, even as you go about your work. Now is also a great time to spend with your children or the younger people in your life — they can help you open yourself up to this freedom of expression if you have been emotionally stuck.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
It’s time to take a walk down memory lane, and it’s never looked so beautiful. A family member may also contact you and want to spend time talking about the past. Hearing each other’s voices will cheer you up. Find something positive about your past self, and try incorporating it into your current life.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
While communication may not be very clear or fast, you’re receiving good news, and it’s okay if the details trickle in as the day goes on. Impatience will only cause you problems. Paying attention to the world around you will give you a sense of peace.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Expect a little self-esteem boost today, either in your sense of self or in your wallet. You may be afraid of believing in a new, positive situation in your life, but those fears will begin to melt away as soon as you realize that you’ve put in the hard work to get the results you wanted.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20):
This shine is appearing in your social life, your romantic life and in your career — what to do with the spotlight? There’s not much you should do other than what comes naturally. Don’t be scared to speak up with your ideas. Know that success can come easily; you just can’t fight it when it arrives.