Joe Biden to say Americans can celebrate July 4 in ‘small groups’

Good evening, my fellow Americans. Tonight I would like to talk to you about where we are as we mark one year since everything stopped because of this pandemic. A year ago, we were hit with the virus that was met with silence and spread unchecked – denials for days, weeks, then months that led to more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness.

Photos and videos from 2019 feel like they were taken in another era – the last vacation, the last birthday with friends, the last holiday with extended family. While it was different for everyone, we all lost something a collective suffering, collective sacrifice, a year filled with the loss of life and the loss of living for all of us, but in the loss, we saw how much there was to gain in appreciation, respect and gratitude.

Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do. In fact, it may be the most American thing we do, and that is what we have done. We have seen front-line and essential workers risking their lives, sometimes losing them to save and help others; researchers and scientists bracing for a vaccine; and so many of you, as Hemingway wrote, being strong in all of the broken places. I know it´s been hard; I truly know.

As I’ve told you before, I carry a card in my pocket with a number of Americans who have died from COVID to date; it´s on the back of my schedule. As of now, total deaths in America 527,726. That´s more deaths than in World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and 9/11 combined. They were husbands, wives, sons and daughters, grandparents, friends, neighbors, young and old. They leave behind loved ones unable to truly grieve or to heal, even have a funeral, but I´m also thinking about everyone else who lost this past year to natural causes by cruel fate of accident or other disease. They, too, died alone. They, too, leave behind loved ones who are hurting badly.

President Joe Biden takes off his mask to speak about the COVID-19 pandemic during a prime-time address from the East Room of the White House

You know you’ve often heard me say before I talk about the longest walk any parent can make is up a short flight of stairs to his child´s bedroom to say I’m sorry I lost my job, can’t be here anymore, like my dad told me when he lost his job in Scranton. So many of you had to make that same walk this past year; you lost your job, you closed your business, facing eviction, homelessness, hunger, the loss of control, maybe worst of all the loss of hope.

Watching a generation of children who may be set back up to a year or more because they have not been in school because of their loss of learning. It´s the details of life that matter the most, and we miss those details, the big details and the small moments, weddings, birthdays, graduations; all of the things that needed to happen but didn’t – a first date, the family reunions, the Sunday night rituals, it´s all exacted a terrible cost on the psyche of so many of us.

For we are fundamentally a people who want to be with others to talk, to laugh, to hug, to hold one another, but this virus has kept us apart. Grandparents haven´t seen their children or grandchildren; parents haven´t seen their kids; kids haven´t seen their friends. The things we used to do that always filled us with joy have become things we couldn’t do and broke our hearts. Too often, we’ve turned against one another. A mask, the easiest thing to do to save lives sometimes, it divides us. States pitted against one another instead of working with each other; vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans who have been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated.

At this very moment, so many of them – our fellow Americans on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives – and still, still they are forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America. It´s wrong, it´s un-American, and it must stop.

Look, we know what we need to do to beat this virus; tell the truth, follow the scientists, the science, work together, put trust and faith in our government to fulfill its most important function, which is protecting the American people – no function more important. We need to remember the government isn´t some foreign force in a distant capital; no, it´s us, all of us. We, the people.

For you and I, that America thrives when we give our hearts, when we turn our hands to common purpose, and right now, my friends, we are doing just that, and I have to say, as your President, I´m grateful to you. Last summer, I was in Philadelphia, and I met a small-business owner, a woman, and I asked her, I said, “What do you need most?” Never forget what she said to me. She said, she looked me in the eye, and she said, “I just want the truth, the truth, just tell me the truth.”

Think of that. My fellow Americans, you are owed nothing less than the truth. And for all of you asking when things will get back to normal, here is the truth: The only way to get our lives back, to get our economy back on track is to beat the virus. You have been hearing me say that for – while I was running and the last 50 days I have been President, but this is one of the most complex operations we have ever undertaken as a nation in a long time.

That´s why I´m using every power I have as President of the United States to put us on a war footing to get the job done. It sounds like hyperbole, but I mean the war footing, and thank God we are making some real progress now. In my first full day in office, I outlined for you a comprehensive strategy to beat this pandemic. We have spent every day since attempting to carry it out.

Two months ago, a country – this country didn’t have nearly enough vaccine supply to vaccinate all or near all of the American public, but soon we will. We have been working with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson to manufacture and purchase hundreds of millions of doses of these three safe, effective vaccines, and now at the direction and with the assistance of my administration, Johnson & Johnson is working together with a competitor, Merck, to speed up and increase the capacity to manufacture new Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which is one shot.

In fact, just yesterday I announced, and I met with the CEOs of both companies, I announced our plan to buy an additional 100 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines. These two companies, competitors, have come together for the good of the nation, and they should be applauded for it. It´s truly a national effort, just like we saw during World War II. Now because all of the work we’ve done, we will have enough vaccines for all adults in America by the end of May.

Biden said the US would be heading towards normality by July 4 when families and friends will be able to celebrate Independence Day in ‘small groups’.

That´s months ahead of schedule, and we are mobilizing thousands of vaccinators to put the vaccines in one´s arm, calling active-duty military, FEMA, retired doctors and nurses, administrators – and to those who administer the shots. And we´ve been creating more places to get the shots. We´ve made it possible for you to get a vaccine at nearly one – any 1 of 10,000 pharmacies across the country, just like you get your flu shot.

We´re also working with governors and mayors in red states and blue states to set up and support nearly 600 federally supported vaccination centers that administer hundreds of thousands of shots per day. You can drive up to a stadium or a large parking lot, get your shot, never leave your car and drive home in less than an hour.

We’ve been sending vaccines to hundreds of community health centers all across America located in underserved areas, and we´ve been deploying and we will deploy more mobile vehicles from pop-up clinics to meet you where you live so those who are least able to get the vaccine are able to get it. We continue to work on making at-home testing available. And we´ve been focused on serving people in the hardest hit communities of this pandemic: Black, Latino, Native American and rural communities.

So what does all this add up to? When I took office 50 days ago, only 8% of Americans – after months, only 8% of those over the age of 65 had gotten their first vaccination. Today, that number is 65%. Just 14% of Americans over the age of 75 50 days ago had gotten their first shot. Today, that number is well over 70%.

With new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, that came out on Monday, it means simply this: Millions and millions of grandparents, who went months without being able to hug their grandkids can now do so. And the more people are fully vaccinated, the CDC will continue to provide additional guidance on what you can do in the workplace, places of worship, with your friends, as well as travel.

When I came into office, you may recall, I set a goal that many of you said was that kind of way over the top. I said I intended to get 100 million shots in people´s arms in my first 100 days in office. Tonight, I can say we´re not only going to meet that goal. We´re going to beat that goal because we´ve actually on track to reach this goal of 100 million shots in arms on my 60th day in office. No other country in the world has done this. None.

And I want to talk about the next steps for thinking about. First, tonight, I´m announcing that I will direct all states, tribes and territories to make all adults, people 18 and over, eligible to be vaccinated no later than May 1. Let me say that again. All adult Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than May 1.

That´s much earlier than expected. Let me be clear, that doesn´t mean everyone´s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you´ll be able to get in line beginning May 1. Every adult will be eligible to get their shot. And to do this, we´re going to go from a million shots a day that I promised in December before I was sworn in, to maintaining, beating our current pace of 2 million shots a day, outpacing the rest of the world.

Secondly, at the time when every adult is eligible in May, we will launch with our partners new tools to make it easier for you to find the vaccine and where to get the shot, including a new website that will help you first find the place to get vaccinated and the one nearest you. No more searching day and night for an appointment for you and your loved ones.

Thirdly, with the passage of the American Rescue Plan – and I thank, again, the House and Senate for passing it – and my announcement last month, I have a plan to vaccinate teachers and school staff, including bus drivers. We can accelerate massive nationwide effort to reopen our schools safely and meet my goal that I stated at the same time of about 100 million shots – of opening the majority of K through 8 schools in my first 100 days in office. This is going to be the number one priority of my new Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Biden was also criticized for taking credit for the vaccine rollout that began under Trump

Fourth, in the coming weeks, we will issue further guidance on what you can and cannot do once fully vaccinated to lessen the confusion, to keep people safe, and encourage more people to get vaccinated.

And finally, fifth, and maybe most importantly, I promise I will do everything in my power. I will not relent until we beat this virus. But I need you, the American people, I need you. I need every American to do their part. That´s not hyperbole, I need you.

I need you to get vaccinated when it’s your turn and when you can find an opportunity and to help your family, your friends, your neighbors get vaccinated as well. Because here´s the point. If we do all this, if we do our part, we do this together, by July the 4th, there´s a good chance you, your families and friends will be able to get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout and a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day.

That doesn’t mean large events with lots of people together, but it does mean small groups will be able to get together. After this long, hard year that will make this Independence Day something truly special where we not only mark our independence as a nation, but we began to mark our independence from this virus. But to get there, we can´t let our guard down. This fight is far from over. As I told the woman in Pennsylvania, I´ll tell you the truth.

On July 4th with your loved ones is the goal. But a goal – a lot can happen. Conditions can change. The scientists have made clear that things may get worse again as new variants of the virus spread. We´ve got work to do to ensure that everyone has confidence and the safety and effectiveness of all three vaccines.

So my message to you is this. Listen to Dr. Fauci, one of the most distinguished and trusted voices in the world. He´s assured us the vaccines are safe. They underwent rigorous scientific review. I know they´re safe. Vice President Harris and I know they´re safe. That´s why we got the vaccine publicly in front of cameras so, for the world to see so you get to see us do it. The first lady and the second gentleman also got vaccinated.

Talk to your family, friends, your neighbors, the people you know best who have gotten the vaccine. We need everyone to get vaccinated. We need everyone to keep washing their hands, stay socially distanced, and keep wearing the mask as recommended by the CDC, because even if we devote every resource we have, beating this virus and getting back to normal depends on national unity.

And national unity isn’t just how politics and politicians vote in Washington and what the loudest voices are saying on cable or online. Unity is what we do together as fellow Americans, because if we don´t stay vigilant and the conditions change, then we may have to reinstate restrictions to get back on track. And please, we don´t want to do that again. We’ve made so much progress. This is not the time to let up. Just as we were emerging from a dark winter into a hopeful spring and summer is not the time to not stick with the rules.

I´ll close with this. We’ve lost so much over the last year. We’ve lost family and friends. We’ve lost businesses and dreams we spent years building. We’ve lost time, time with each other. And our children have lost so much time with their friends, time with their schools, no graduation ceremonies this spring. No graduations from college, high school, moving-up ceremonies.

You know, and there’s something else we lost. We lost faith in whether our government and our democracy can deliver on really hard things for the American people. But as I stand here tonight, we´re proving once again something I´ve said time and time again to the – probably tired of hearing me say it. I say it to foreign leaders and domestic alike. It´s never, ever a good bet to bet against the American people.

America is coming back. The development, manufacture, distribution of vaccines in record time is a true miracle of science. It’s one of the most extraordinary achievements any country has ever accomplished. We also just saw the Perseverance rover land on Mars, stunning images of our dreams that are now reality, another example of the extraordinary American ingenuity, commitment and belief in science and one another.

And today I signed into law the American Rescue Plan, a historic piece of legislation that delivers immediate relief to millions of people, includes $1,400 in direct rescue checks, payments. That means a typical family of four earning about $110,000 will get checks for $5,600 deposited if they have direct deposit, or in a check, a Treasury check.

It extends unemployment benefits. It helps small businesses. It lowers health care premiums for many. It provides food and nutrition, keeps families in their homes. And it will cut child poverty in this country in half, according to the experts. And it funds all the steps I´ve just described to beat the virus and create millions of jobs.

In the coming weeks and months, I´ll be traveling, along with the first lady, the vice president, the second gentleman and members of my Cabinet to speak directly to you, to tell you the truth about how the American Rescue Plan meets the moment. And if it fails in any place, I will acknowledge that it failed, but it will not; about how after long, dark years, one whole year, there is hope and light of better days ahead.

If we all do our part, this country will be vaccinated soon, our economy will be on the mend, our kids will be back in school, and we’ll have proven once again that this country can do anything, hard things, big things, important things.

Over a year ago, no one could have imagined what we were about to go through, but now we’re coming through it. And it’s a shared experience that binds us together as a nation. We are bound together by the loss and the pain of the days that have gone by. We are also bound together by the hope and the possibilities in the days in front of us.

My fervent prayer for our country is that, after all we’ve been through, we’ll come together as one people, one nation, one America. I believe we can and we will. We´re seizing this moment in history, I believe, will record we faced and overcame one of the toughest and darkest periods in this nation´s history, the darkest we’ve ever known.

I promise you we’ll come out stronger with a renewed faith in ourselves, a renewed commitment to one another, to our communities and to our country. This is the United States of America, and there’s nothing, nothing, from the bottom of my heart I believe this, there´s nothing we can’t do when we do it together.

So, God bless you all. And please, God, give solace to all those people who lost someone. May God protect our troops. Thank you for taking the time to listen. I look forward to seeing you.

Relief checks

President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats tightened eligibility for the $1,400 payments to secure support from wavering Democratic senators.

But under the Senate bill being voted on in the House Wednesday, the phaseout stops at $80,000. 

Under the earlier House-passed version, the cash payment would have phased out for singles with incomes between $75,000 and $100,000. Under the original House bill, the cash payment for married couples phased out between $150,000 and $200,000. But under the Senate bill heading to Joe Biden’s desk, the phaseout stops at $160,000.

Most Americans will still be getting the full amount. The median household income was $68,703 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Roughly 8 million fewer households will get a check under the Senate bill compared with what the House passed, according to an analysis from the Tax Policy Center.

Money for state and local governments  

The Senate-passed bill provides $350 billion for state and local governments but adds the stipulation that the money can only cover costs incurred by the end of 2024. The Senate bill also prohibits states from using the money to offset tax cuts, nor can it be used to shore up a pension fund. The bill also requires that small states get at least the amount they received under virus legislation that Congress passed last March. Lawmakers are looking to focus the money on covering costs and revenue shortfalls arising from the pandemic.

Aid for the jobless  

The Senate-passed bill extends enhanced unemployment benefits through Sept. 6 at $300 a week. Also, the first $10,200 of benefits would non-taxable. The provision applies to households with incomes under $150,000.

Passage came after a compromise that knocked down the House-passed higher payment of $400 per week, with the extension running until Aug. 29. That´s on top of what beneficiaries are getting through their state unemployment insurance program.

More money for hospitals 

Hospital trade groups lobbied senators to tack on more money for hospitals to help maintain sufficient staffing and purchase personal protective equipment while caring for large numbers of critically ill patients.

The Senate bill being taken up by the House adds $8.5 billion for rural providers for COVID-19 relief.

Health insurance help  

Workers who lose their job can remain on their company´s health plan for up to 18 months under a law known as COBRA, but they typically must pay the full monthly premium.

The House bill temporarily subsidized 85% of the insurance premiums, which can be expensive. The bill that passed the Senate include a 100% subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums to ensure that the laid-off workers can remain on their employer health plans at no cost through the end of September.

Provisions for children and students

The bill provides $7.5 billion for vaccine distribution, along with $48 billion for testing and contract tracing.

It provides $39 billion for child care, amid studies showing women have been disproportionately kept out of the workforce due to schools closing in-person learning.

Schools and universities also get $160 billion in direct aide, but there are provisions meant to ensure it gets spent in the next few years.

It also expands the child tax credit to $3,000 per child – in a provision projected to cause a steep drop in child poverty. It is an increase of $1,000 from the current credit, which is fully refundable on tax returns. There is an additional $600 for children under six.

Amtrak and other winners  

Amtrak would get an additional $200 million on top of the $1.5 billion in the House bill, for a total of $1.7 billion. There´s also an additional $510 million for homeless services under the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $175 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. All COVID-19 student loan relief would be tax-free.

No $15 minimum wage hike  

The Senate-passed bill being voted on in the House does not include an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. It got stripped out after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the minimum wage increase violated strict budget rules limiting what can be included in a package that can be passed with 51 votes rather than the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.

– AP