Two thirds Americans approve of President Biden's COVID-19 response as he prepares to pass $1.9trillion relief package
Two-thirds of Americans approve of President Joe Biden's response to the coronavirus pandemic, a new poll found.
The new president has rounded off his first two weeks in office by forging ahead with a $1.9trillion coronavirus relief package.
A new poll by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News found sweeping support for the measure, with an approval rating of 96% of Democrats, 67% of independents and 33% of Republicans - meaning two thirds of Americans back the response.
When it came to distribution of the vaccine, around 61% of Democrats, 68% of Republicans and 70% of independents believe it is 'fair'.
The poll also finds support for delivering additional aid, with nearly nine in ten Americans backing more relief, but the country is split over the approach.
A new poll found that two thirds of Americans approve of President Biden's COVID-19 plans. Biden is pictured on January 22 signing an executive order as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on during an event on economic crisis in the State Dining Room of the White House
The poll also found widespread support for Biden's coronavirus relief package, but political split over how to deliver it and how much to give. Biden is pictured with US Vice President Kamala Harris (L), speaking about foreign policy at the State Department in Washington, DC, on February 4
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing on Friday: 'The president ran on unifying the country and putting forward ideas that would help address the crises we're facing.
'He didn't run on a promise to unite the Democratic and Republican Party into one party in Washington. This package has the vast majority of support from the American public.'
Almost half (49%) of Americans believe Biden should pass the massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 measure with only support from within the Democratic party, another 40% are on board with a smaller aid package that earns support from at least some Republicans.
Only 10% don't believe any action is necessary.
The division is starker on party lines, with only 24% of Republicans backing the White House's strategy and a majority (53%) preferring a bipartisan approach that sacrifices the size of the package.
But it's not just Republicans, a slim majority of independents (51%) also favor a smaller plan with the support of some Republicans in Congress.
Trump's approval on handling the pandemic peaked higher than his disapproval rating just once last year, when it reached 55% in mid-March, before falling for nearly all of the rest of his term.
In ABC News/Ipsos polls from July through October last year, more than 6 in 10 disapproved of Trump's handling of the virus.
Democrats pushed ahead with approving the hefty package without GOP support after Biden met in the Oval Office with 10 Republican lawmakers, who were pitching a far slimmer counterproposal of $618 billion.
Some economic experts warned that such a large package could threaten future inflation and financial stability.
The Senate is currently considering the relief package, which would send $1,400 checks directly to families, extend unemployment insurance, raise the minimum wage and include funding for vaccine distribution, for food and housing assistance, for child care and paid leave and to help communities reopen schools for in-person learning, among many other things.
But the process through which lawmakers are considering the proposal, known as budget reconciliation, is set to take the better part of a month to complete.
Both sides want to get a final bill to Biden's desk before federal jobless benefits expire on March 14.
Biden said of the plan: 'It's big and it's bold and it's a real answer to the crisis we're in. The biggest risk is not going too big, it's if we go too small.'
There were some initial problems with the rollout of vaccines in the US, with the government setting a target of vaccinating 20 million Americans by the end of 2020 but managing just three million.
However, things improved in January, with President Joe Biden setting a goal of 100 million vaccinations administered by his 100th day in office - and an average of one million shots a day hit on 21 January, the day after he was inaugurated.
The US is now averaging more than 1.3 million vaccinations a day and Mr Biden has upped his target to 1.5 million a day.
Former President Trump, pictured on January 20 boarding Marine One at The White House, achieved a higher approval than disapproval rating of his handling of the pandemic, once whilst in office, when he peaked at 55% in March.
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