President Joe Biden made two major announcements related to COVID-19 Thursday: He is allowing the eviction moratorium to end Saturday, and requiring federal workers to either prove they’ve been vaccinated or get tested weekly.
The video above shows clips from President Biden’s speech announcing the federal worker requirements. They are aimed at boosting sluggish vaccination rates as the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread.
“It’s an American blessing that we have vaccines for each and every American,” Biden said. “We’ve made it our first and top priority to have available vaccines for every American, and that’s never going to change as long as I’m here. And it’s a shame, such a shame to squander that blessing.”
In addition to the “vaccinate or test” requirement for federal workers, Biden is asking the Department of Defense to look into requiring members of the military to get the vaccine.
“Our men and women in uniform who protect this country from grave threats should be protected as much as possible from getting COVID-19,” Biden said. “I think this is particularly important because our troops serve in places throughout the world, many where vaccination rates are low and disease is prevalent.”
The president is also rolling out more incentives to get vaccinated, including paid leave to get the shot and more.
“I’m calling on all states and local governments to use funding they have received, including from the American Rescue Plan, to give 100 dollars to anyone who gets fully vaccinated,” Biden said. “I know the paying people to get vaccinated, it might sound unfair to folks who have gotten vaccinated already. But here’s the deal: If incentives help us beat this virus, I believe we should use them. We all benefit, we can get more people vaccinated.”
As for the moratorium, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put them in place last September.
The Biden administration said it would have liked to extend the moratorium, but its hands were tied after the Supreme Court signaled the moratorium would only be extended until the end of July.
Biden called on “Congress to extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay.” Senators Chuck Schumer and Sherrod Brown are working on legislation that would do just that.