President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law on Thursday (March 11).
"In the weeks that this bill has been discussed and debated, it is clear that an overwhelming percentage of the American people … have made it clear they strongly support the American Rescue Plan," Biden said. "Their voices were heard."
The bill includes a $1,400 stimulus check for about 90% of Americans, a $300 per week boost to unemployment benefits, $350 billion in state and local aid, and billions of dollars to help small businesses, schools, vaccine distribution, and coronavirus testing.
The stimulus checks are expected to go out by the end of the month.
"This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving the people of this nation, working people, the middle-class folks, people who built the country a fighting chance," Biden said.
The signing comes as President Biden prepares to make his first primetime address to the nation on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. His speech will mark the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns and will honor the lives that have been lost and sacrifices that have been made fighting the pandemic. Biden will then lay out his plan to defeat the virus.
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