Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appeared to forget the name of the Great Recession while also getting confused about the economic stimulus package he oversaw while serving as Barack Obama's Vice President during a speech on Saturday.
Biden was speaking at a virtual town hall of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), a labor organization in the U.S. and Canada with more than 200,000 member that represents the public transit industry.
At one point in the speech, Biden began talking about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill that was introduced in March this year in response to the pandemic.
"Because of the ATU working with the House, you were able to work hard to see that $25 billion in aid was included in the so-called CARES act, those first pieces of relief legislation. But I know it's not enough," Biden said.
"Tens of thousands of transit workers have already been laid off—tens of thousands. And I've said for months, Republican senate needs to step up and pass another economic relief package right away so painful cuts don't make this crisis worse."
But when Biden went on to compare the current situation to the Great Recession, the global economic downturn that occurred between 2007 and 2009, the presidential nominee appeared to stumble over its name, while also getting confused about the size of the stimulus package he oversaw.
"You may remember, when we went through this with the Great... with the uh, that, that, uh, uh, the single most significant recession in American history short of a depression, and Barack and I came into office and we were inherited the Bush recession, I was asked to manage the recovery act which was $80 billion. Eighty billion do... excuse me, $800 billion," Biden said.
"And the first thing I was able to do is get over a $140 billion to the states and localities so they didn't have to lay off transit workers, they didn't have to lay off firefighters, they didn't have to lay off police officer."
Biden started his speech by thanking the ATU for being one of the first unions to endorse him last year.
"You stepped up for me and I won't forgot it," he said. "I want to thank you for the commitment and bravery you show to your jobs and to the people you serve every single day. Lot of people don't get it—you're on the frontlines of this pandemic and as we've all seen too clearly this week, COVID-19 is still a threat to our health as well as our economic security."
Over the course of his 36-year Senate career, Biden has developed a reputation for making verbal gaffes, sometimes misspeaking while talking or suffering mind blanks.
The presidential nominee has even described himself as a "gaffe machine," while President Donald Trump has previously criticized Biden for these gaffes.
The Link LonkOctober 04, 2020 at 04:40PM
https://www.newsweek.com/biden-great-recession-stimulus-package-1536239
Biden Appears to Forget Name of Great Recession During Speech - Newsweek
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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