COVID-19 relief: Biden’s executive actions if a stimulus package doesn’t pass soon – By Clifford Colby (CNET) / Nov 26 2020
When President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20, he could sign an executive order if there’s no bill before then.
When President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, he’ll begin his term with a collection of issues that he and his administration intend to quickly address. While Biden will look to Congress for help to pass laws on issues ranging from clean energy to immigration reform, if a coronavirus stimulus package doesn’t go through before Biden’s swearing in, there are some things he could immediately do before stimulus negotiations would begin again. (Here’s more on Biden’s stimulus plan, which could include a second check. Here’s what happens if a bill passes without another direct payment.)
If the Senate remains in Republican hands following the twin Georgia Senate runoff elections in January, Biden could follow the path President Donald Trump took in August — when he temporarily renewed enhanced unemployment aid, eviction protections and student-loan-interest deferrals after Congress failed to act — to quickly address specific areas of need.
The incoming administration has already identified a range of issues it could address through executive powers — including rejoining the Paris climate agreement and instituting new ethics guidelines for the White House — but Biden could also use an executive order or memo as a stop-gap before another bill were to come to a vote.
