Biden Executive Orders, Will Boost Food Benefits,
Workers' Rights.
The two executive orders are among those
that President Joe Biden will sign on Friday.
While the president has
proposed a $1.9 trillion
coronavirus relief package that
requires Congressional approval.
these two executive orders are
designed to offer immediate
federal relief under “existing authority.”.
These actions are not a substitute for comprehensive legislative relief … but they will provide a critical lifeline to millions of American families, Brian Deese, National Economic Council Director, via CNBC.
One order will allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) to make it possible for states to expand access
to the federal food benefit program, SNAP.
It also directs the benefit increase of the
Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer
program by up to 15 percent.
The program provides meals for low income
children who had otherwise been
receiving their meals at schools.
The other order directs the Labor Department to
implement rules allowing workers to choose not
to take work that puts their health at risk.
without risking their eligibility
for jobless benefits.
President Biden has also ordered his administration
to develop an executive order that raises the
minimum wage of federal contractors to $15 an hour.
This executive order is slated for the
first 100 days of his administration