The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Biden’s orders expand food stamps, raise wages
Broader stimulus package to help most Americans awaits action by Congress.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed two executive orders Friday to provide help to struggling families and boost wages for certain workers, turning once again to the power of the executive branch to advance his economic goals as the legislative chances for his broader stimulus package remains unclear.
“The crisis is only deepening,” Biden said during remarks at the White House, calling the need to help those out of work and unable to afford enough food “an economic imperative.”
“We have the tools to help people. So let’s use the tools. All of them. Now,” he said.
What happened
Biden’s executive orders will attempt to increase the amount of money poor families get for food each month and provide additional meal money for students whose schools have been closed as a result of the virus. Biden will also direct the Treasury Department to find ways to deliver stimulus checks to at least 8 million Americans who are eligible for money but have not yet received funds.
A second executive order will lay the groundwork for the federal government to require a $15-per-hour minimum wage for its employees and contract workers, while making it easier for federal workers to bargain collectively for better pay and benefits.
Why it matters
The moves are the latest attempt by Biden to try to quickly address the economic fallout from the virus by using his executive authority. On Wednesday, his first day in office, Biden issued orders extending federal moratoriums on some foreclosures and evictions through the end of March and a pause on student loan payments through the end of September.
But the president’s executive powers are somewhat limited, and the steps that Biden is taking are relatively small and targeted given the scope of the economic pain coursing through the country. Millions of Americans remain out of work, and another 900,000 filed for unemployment insurance Thursday.
Biden, nodding to that reality, once again appealed to Congress to pass the $1.9 trillion package he outlined earlier this month, saying the economy would be worse off if the U.S. did not spend money now to prevent further pain.
“There is a growing economic consensus that we must act decisively and boldly,” he said. “This cannot be what we are as a country. We cannot, will not let people go hungry. We cannot watch people lose their jobs, and we have to act.”
Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, said at a White House briefing Friday that the orders would help provide some immediate relief for families but said they are not a replacement for the type of sweeping stimulus program that Biden outlined earlier this month.
“These actions are not a substitute for comprehensive legislative relief, but they will provide a critical lifeline to millions of families,” Deese said. “The American people are hurting, and they can’t afford to wait.”
What’s next
Legislative action will not come easily. Democrats hold a slim majority in Congress, and Republicans are already showing signs of resistance to another spending package. That resistance is only expected to increase given Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that she would send articles of impeachment to the Senate next week.
The White House is wrestling with whether to spend time trying to find a bipartisan agreement, as Biden has said he would like, or to use a procedural maneuver to push at least part of his proposal through the Senate with a simple majority, avoiding the need for any Republican support.
The orders are part of Biden’s attempt to override his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, on all manner of issues, from immigration to the federal safety net. Friday’s executive actions signal a break from the Trump administration’s attempts to limit the scope of many federal benefits that some officials said created a disincentive for Americans to work.