Joe Biden said the US economy would come “roaring back” if Congress approved his $1.9tn fiscal stimulus plan, as he pledged to deliver widespread coronavirus vaccinations and a stronger recovery in the second half of the year.
Speaking in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday, the president said that Covid-19 vaccines would be accessible to all Americans who wanted one by the end of July, with 600m doses delivered by then.
Along with the prospect of an improvement in the public health response, Biden said the world’s largest economy would need a jolt from government spending to accelerate its rebound. The president’s priority is to secure approval from lawmakers for his stimulus plan but he faces opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill who believe the price tag is excessive.
“[The] overwhelming consensus [is] to grow the economy . . . we can’t spend too much. Now’s the time we should be spending,” Biden said. “Depending on who you talk to,…