WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – President Biden is preparing to unveil a wide-ranging plan to improve the nation’s infrastructure and rebuild the economy. At the same time Tuesday, he’s focusing on equity and inclusion from new efforts to support the Asian American community to his first slate of judicial nominees.
The president ran on a campaign of Building Back Better and today, he’s taking a series of steps he says are aimed at extending that promise to all Americans. President Biden signed an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program, giving small businesses until the end of May to apply for the forgivable loans.
The president said, “Without me signing this bill, there are hundreds of thousands of people who would lose their jobs and small family businesses that might close forever.”
The White House focused on reviving the economy as President Biden prepares to roll out a massive infrastructure plan that’s already facing Republican pushback over its multi-trillion dollar price tag.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “They want to do another massive spending bill which will include additional debt.”
The administration signaled the president may propose higher taxes for corporations or the wealthy to pay for his plans.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “He believes there’s more that can be done to make the corporate tax code more fair, to reward work not wealth.”
Earlier Tuesday, President Biden pledged o invest in Latino-owned businesses during remarks to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Biden said, “Together we’re going to get our economy back on track and hang an open sign on tens of thousands of Latino-owned small businesses.”
The president also promised more support for the Asian-American Pacific Islander community, including a new task force aimed at ending xenophobia amid a troubling increase in anti-Asian violence and discrimination.
Meanwhile, President Biden unveiled a diverse group of eleven judicial nominees in the first glimpse of his plans to reshape the federal courts after four years of Republican control.
Wednesday, the president traveled to Pittsburgh to unveil phase one of his infrastructure plan focused on physical repairs to roads and bridges. Phase two aims to address child and health care needs.
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