Biden will go on tour selling the American Rescue Plan

After President Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on Friday afternoon, he's planning to embark on a tour across the country promoting the COVID-19 relief package, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

Biden has received calls from Democratic lawmakers and strategists to make it clear he and the party should receive credit for the stimulus, and his team is reportedly trying to figure out a clear strategy to do just that. In response to the 2008 financial crisis, Congress passed a major stimulus bill in 2009, former President Barack Obama's first year in office, but Democrats believe the plan never got the recognition it deserved for revitalizing the economy, The Washington Post reports.

So, the White House wants to get ahead of Republican opposition this time around. "It will really take a sustained drumbeat to make sure everyone understands what's in that package," Ben LaBolt, a Democratic strategist close to the White House, told the Post. "The important thing is the communication campaign and that it's sustained over time, like a presidential campaign. Everyone has to hear the message seven times to remember it. One event, one signing ceremony, is not going to cover it."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The administration reportedly tinkered with the idea of putting Biden's name on individual stimulus checks, but opted against it, so it appears the tour, which is reportedly still taking shape, will be the initial promotional vehicle. Read more at The Washington Post.