President-elect Joe Biden is celebrating his victory without losing sight of what he needs to do to tackle the issues facing the nation.
“I feel like I’ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years,” Biden told The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
He added, “But there’s been no moment of elation… There’s a lot of work to do. I’m just focused on getting some things done as quickly as I can.”
The former vice president’s focus is on another COVID-19 relief package.
“You have over 10 million people out there who are worried [how] they can pay their next mortgage payment. You have a significantly higher number of people who have no ability to pay their rent,” Biden said.
He stressed when Americans “are out of the work force too long” it makes it “a hell of a lot harder for them to get back in the work force.”
Biden suggested if Republicans refuse to cooperate with his administration, it could hurt them in the long run.
“When you have cops and firefighters and first responders across the board being laid off, when you’re not getting the kind of distribution of vaccines out to rural America,” he said. “It has to have some consequences.”
Biden noted his favorable rating is 55% while President Donald Trump’s stands at 42%.
He is expected to meet with workers and business owners hurt by the pandemic Wednesday, as IJR previously reported.
Biden is encouraging lawmakers to strike a deal on the next relief package.
A bipartisan group of senators unveiled a $908 Billion coronavirus relief bill on Tuesday, as IJR reported.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also floated an outline of the latest version of his COVID-19 relief plan.
