President Joe Biden yesterday said the Congress needs to take immediate action on his $1.9tn Covid-19 relief proposal, adding that most economists believe additional economic stimulus is needed.
“We have to act now,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “There is an overwhelming consensus among economists...that this is a unique moment and the cost of inaction is high.”
Biden spoke as Democrats who lead the US Senate and House of Representatives prepared to take the first steps next week towards delivering fresh assistance to Americans and businesses reeling from a pandemic that has killed more than 433,000 people.
Congress enacted a $4tn in Covid-19 relief last year.
On Thursday, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said the sharply divided chamber would begin work on robust legislation next week, despite misgivings among Republicans and some Democrats about the size of Biden’s proposal.
With the 100-seat Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the tie-breaking vote, Democrats are preparing to use a parliamentary tool called “reconciliation” that would allow chamber to approve Covid-19 relief with a simple majority.
Because of Senate rules, legislation usually requires 60 votes to pass the chamber.
“There is no time for any delays,” Biden said yesterday. “We could end up with 4mn fewer jobs this year...It could take a year longer to return to full employment if we don’t act and don’t act now.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted on Thursday that both chambers of Congress would be ready to move forward through reconciliation by the end of next week. 
Biden yesterday also extended deportation relief for several thousand Syrian immigrants living in the US, an early move that aligns with his broader pro-immigrant platform.
The US department of homeland security announced that acting Secretary David Pekoske would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 6,700 eligible Syrians through September 2022 and allow an additional 1,800 people to file initial applications.
The programme grants immigrants who cannot return to their countries safely, for reasons like natural disasters or armed conflict, the ability to stay and work in the US legally for a defined period that can be renewed.
Biden has pledged to embrace a more welcoming approach to refugees and immigrants.
The stance contrasts with the hardline policies of former Republican president Donald Trump, who rolled back many humanitarian protections. Trump largely sought to phase out enrolment in the TPS programme for immigrants from Central American and other countries but was stymied by legal challenges.
Despite his tough stance, his administration twice extended protections for Syrians due to ongoing armed conflict and limited access to medical care in the country. Trump, however, did not allow new applicants into the programme. 
With Biden’s designation, additional Syrians in the US can now seek protection under TPS.
The move fits with his broader plans to expand protections under the programme. Biden also pledged to grant TPS to immigrants from Venezuela due to the economic conditions in that country, although Trump had pre-empted that move by providing the protections through a similar programme before he left office.