Biden unveils $1.9 trillion ‘rescue plan’ including direct payments and extra $400 in unemployment benefits (Source Yahoo Money)

President-Elect Joe Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that includes direct payments to Americans, a $15 minimum wage, aid to small businesses, and a national vaccination program, among many other provisions. “While Congress’s bipartisan action in December was a step in the right direction, it was only a down payment. It fell far short of the resources needed to tackle the immediate crisis,” according to the statement accompanying the details of the plan. “We are in a race against time, and absent additional government assistance, the economic and public health crises could worsen in the months ahead.” The $1.9 trillion legislation includes $1,400 stimulus payments on top of the $600 being distributed, the extension of key unemployment programs that are set to expire in the spring, aid to small businesses, $350 billion to state and local governments, increase in tax credits for low- and middle-income families, and $160 billion for a national program on vaccination and testing.