Biden to Address Food Insecurity, Economy on 2nd Full Day in Office

U.S. president Joe Biden is expected to sign at least two executive orders Friday aimed at providing financial and food security to families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The newly inaugurated president will order the Department of Agriculture to expand benefits in the country’s food program in one of the orders. Many people who have been laid off from their jobs because of the pandemic have sought help finding food.

In addition, the new president is seeking a 15% increase in a school meals program that began after the pandemic. Biden officials say the increase in the school-based program could result in a family with three children receiving more than $100 in extra benefits every two months.

Pandemic stimulus checks
An executive order on pandemic stimulus checks seeks to deliver the checks to people who are eligible to receive them but have not.

“Many Americans faced challenges receiving the first round of direct payments and as many as eight million eligible households did not receive the payments issued in March,” a White House fact sheet said.

Also Friday, Biden will have his first conversation with a foreign leader. The president is scheduled to have a telephone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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