President Joe Biden celebrated Wednesday the final passage of his massive $1.9 trillion rescue package in the House of Representatives.
“I want to thank all the members who voted for it, especially Speaker Pelosi, the finest and most capable Speaker in the history of our nation,” Biden said in a statement recognizing the bill’s passage.
Biden alluded to Pelosi’s history of passing massive spending bills during her career.
“Once again, she has led into law an historic piece of legislation that addresses a major crisis and lifts up millions of Americans,” he said.
The bill passed without any Republican support – they cited concerns about the cost of the bill and the spending within it that was not related to the coronavirus pandemic. The bill contains over $120 billion of unrelated spending programs and bailouts for state and local governments to fill holes in their budgets.
“Everything in the American Rescue Plan addresses a real need,” Biden said at an event on Wednesday afternoon. The president will sign the bill on Friday, the White House confirmed.
“We, of course, are moving full speed ahead on the implementation of the bill because we know the American people need help and need it as soon as possible,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during the daily press briefing.
Biden plans an address to the nation on Thursday evening to discuss the ongoing fight against the virus.