According to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60 percent of Americans approving of his job success so far and even more supporting his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60 percent of Americans approving of his job success so far and even more supporting his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
At a time when America is deeply divided politically, support for Biden’s pandemic response cuts across party lines. Overall, 70% of Americans, including 44% of Republicans, support the Democratic president’s handling of the virus response.
Despite this, Americans are more skeptical of Biden’s economic policies, which have been harmed by the pandemic. According to the AP-NORC poll, 55% of Americans approve of Biden’s approach to the economy so far, and 63% believe the US economy is in bad shape. Republicans are also less likely to help Biden on the economy than on the pandemic, with just 17% backing his fiscal management.
Biden has declared the pandemic his top priority less than two months into his administration, encouraging Americans to follow strict social distancing and mask guidelines and promising to speed up the delivery of vital vaccines. He’s also argued that the economy won’t completely recover until the epidemic is under control.
In the meantime, he’s asking Congress to approve a $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue bill, which will include direct grants to millions of Americans and flood funds into state and local governments to remedy financial shortfalls.
The bill has already passed the House of Representatives. But, in order to keep all Democratic senators on board, Biden has had to make concessions, including deciding this week to limit the eligibility for $1,400 stimulus checks. Individuals earning more than $80,000 per year and couples earning more than $160,000 per year would not be eligible for coverage, according to Biden, as a concession to moderate Democratic senators. The stimulus funds would have been applied to Americans with higher annual incomes under Biden’s initial plan.
Under the Senate agreement, the administration expects that 158.5 million households will still collect checks.
John Villegas, 58, an Illinois Democrat who supports Biden’s handling of both the virus response and the economy, is excited about the possibility of a pandemic relief bill.
‘There are a lot of people struggling as a result of the closing of so many businesses,’ Villegas said, comparing Biden’s stance to that of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Trump said that the US economy couldn’t afford the hit imposed by business and travel restrictions. Economists’ worst fears were allayed when Republican-led states followed Trump’s lead and refused to impose controls, but COVID-19 cases soared. In the United States, more than 520,000 people have died as a result of the infection in the last decade.
