President Joe Biden is facing among the most difficult first months of any modern president. He is inheriting a pandemic that –– despite the promise of increasing vaccinations — is still raging in much of the country, along with an economic crisis that has left tens of millions of Americans still without jobs. The United States is also facing a serious crisis of racial inequality, and our planet is growing increasingly warmer. 

To say that political polarization in the country is extreme is an understatement, as the country was shaken by a deadly insurrection at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, by pro-Trump activists who believed the 2020 election results were rigged. As such, Biden faces the enormous task of helping the country to recover from the pandemic while also building up a sense of national unity. 

The crises his administration faces are staggering, but Biden can and will work to lead the country on a better path. To do this, Congress must pass the American Rescue Plan.

While some consider the cost of this stimulus package hefty, its passage is vital in order to begin to revitalize struggling sectors of the economy.

The American Rescue Plan is a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that includes a variety of key components, such as money for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, $1,400 stimulus checks to those eligible, relief for hard-hit small businesses and communities, and money to help schools reopen. While some consider the cost of this stimulus package hefty, its passage is vital in order to begin to revitalize struggling sectors of the economy. 

The pandemic has led to an economic recession in the United States, and the resulting economic damage has affected industries and communities very unequally. Industries such as hospitality, travel and entertainment have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Even more concerningly, many people who are unemployed due to the pandemic have been out of work for months, as industries facing difficulty or inability to operate during the pandemic are largely shuttered. 

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For example, Broadway has been shut down since March 2020; it will not reopen until at least the end of May, or whenever COVID-19 vaccines have been widely distributed. Furthermore, the economic crisis caused by the pandemic is exacerbating existing social inequality in the United States.

Those who work in the service and hospitality industries are less likely to have significant personal financial savings. Women and people of color, who already face discrimination in the job market, also make up considerable proportions of those who work in these industries.

While a $1,400 stimulus check will certainly not fix all macroeconomic problems in the United States, it serves as another key tool to help households facing financial hardship get by.

The U.S. economy cannot truly begin to recover until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. Fortunately, the American Rescue Plan has robust funding to help distribute the vaccine to states and localities. 

While the vaccine rollout thus far has been rather slow and frustrating to many, the number of allocated doses made available to states and localities each week is steadily increasing. Despite the promise of vaccines and gradual economic recovery, too many American families are still desperately struggling economically. While a $1,400 stimulus check will certainly not fix all macroeconomic problems in the United States, it serves as another key tool to help households facing financial hardship get by during this extremely difficult and trying time.

Even though the American Rescue Plan may seem expensive, the severe economic crisis we are facing requires a substantial stimulus to help meet the demands of the moment, both in terms of controlling the pandemic assisting working families. For that reason, its passage is a vital step not only for Biden’s presidency but also for the post-pandemic recovery of the United States.