Casey Heinrich’s letter displays the usual Republican tendency of blaming Democratic presidents for GOP obstructionism, while somehow missing President Joe Biden’s many positive accomplishments (“The credit Biden deserves,” Our Readers’ Views, Feb. 11).
Biden’s American Rescue Plan, geared to benefit average Americans, extended unemployment benefits, gave most people $1,400, lowered health insurance premiums, provided a 100 percent COBRA subsidy, and gave parents a monthly payment of $250 to $300 per child, which economists credit with cutting childhood poverty by 40 percent.
This has resulted in the greatest year of job creation in generations, with 6.4 million new jobs in 2021. Wages are rising and people have more disposable income, even accounting for inflation; the wealth of the poorest 50 percent has increased dramatically, unemployment is down to 4 percent (the fastest decline in the unemployment rate in over 70 years), the GDP increased by 5.5 percent and the S&P 500 went up 27 percent, while the deficit decreased 17 percent since 2020.
About two-thirds of us are fully vaccinated, $15 billion in student debt was forgiven for 675,000 Americans, the Pew Research Center reports that America’s worldwide favorability rating shot up from 34 percent when Trump left office to 64 percent, and instead of “infrastructure weeks,” we actually have an infrastructure bill signed into law. The Biden Boom! How about that!
