Biden set to sign stimulus bill on Friday
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President Biden is set to sign the coronavirus stimulus bill this Friday, according to reports.
According to CNBC.com, "The American Rescue Plan Act is expected to be signed by President Biden on Friday, and stimulus payments could start being sent out within days of him signing." The bill marks the first major piece of legislation during Biden's nascent presidency.
According to CNN.com, the bill includes a number of different elements. From stimulus checks to 350 billion dollars to states, the bill has several provisions in it that will bring money directly back to the people and communities suffering the pandemic.
However, Republicans have criticized certain aspects of the bill, arguing that much of the stimulus isn't for immediate COVID relief and stating that people who were in the country illegally could also benefit.
.According to the New York Times, for instance, "Tucked inside the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill that cleared the Senate on Saturday is an $86 billion aid package that has nothing to do with the pandemic." That provision helps bail out certain pension funds for unions and those pensions were in trouble long before the pandemic struck.
Additionally, Newsweek recently reported that Senator Ted Cruz was right in saying that people who were in the United States illegally are eligible for stimulus funds. According to Newsweek, "Immigrants who overstay their visas no longer are lawfully in the country but retain their Social Security numbers and therefore are eligible to receive a check."
