President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order that would increase food stamp benefits to help people going hungry amid the financial downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, his top economic adviser, Brian Deese, told reporters.
Biden has already proposed a $1.9 trillion relief package to Congress that includes direct payments and other types of aid for people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic. In the meantime, he is directing his administration to take steps to tweak programs to try to provide some assistance.
"The American people can't afford to wait, and so many are hanging by a thread. They need help," Deese told reporters, explaining the measures are not a substitute for a broader relief package. An estimated 29 million adults and at least 8 million children are experiencing hunger because of the pandemic, he said.
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