Biden says 'no time to waste' on COVID relief bill

Harris celebrated Black History month on Saturday in a keynote address at the 40th Annual Black History Month virtual celebration. 

In her speech, she applauded the House for passing a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package and touted how the bill would lead to $1,400 direct payments for Americans, a child tax credit and $20 billion toward a national COVID-19 vaccination program.

She said she plans to get the bill “across the finish line.”

She cited how the Black community has been hard hit in the pandemic.

“We are looking at a country in a situation where more than two in three Black Americans personally know someone who has been hospitalized or who has died from COVID-19,” she said. 

“Black women workers are being forced out of the workforce in record numbers, and so many Black small businesses are being forced to close their doors,” Harris added.

“In so many ways, this pandemic has been an accelerator. And for those for whom things were bad before, they're even worse now for the fissures and the failures, the defects, the flaws in our system, during the course of this pandemic, have been blown up for all to see,” she said.

She celebrated the “the barrier breakers and the history makers” who came before her.

“I think of history in the context of a relay race. With each generation running their course and passing the baton to the next. And so, the baton is now in our hands and what matters is how well we run our portion of the race,” Harris said. 

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

During brief remarks Saturday morning, Biden praised the House passage of his American Rescue Plan and urged the Senate to pass the bill, warning there’s “no time to waste.” 

He said he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just before stepping out and thanked her for her work on the effort and for moving the country “one step forward” on relief.

The $1.9 trillion economic coronavirus relief package will provide resources to schools and businesses, boost funding for vaccinations and testing and grant financial relief to Americans across the country.

“With their vote, we're one step closer to vaccinating the nation. We are one step closer to putting $1,400 in the pockets of Americans,” Biden said. “We're one step closer to extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who are shortly going to lose them. We're one step closer to helping millions of Americans feed their families, and keep a roof over their head.”

“We're one step closer to getting our kids safely back in school. And we're one step closer to getting state and local governments the money they need to prevent massive layoffs for essential workers,” he added. 

He directed a message to the Senate stressing, “I hope it will receive quick action.”

“If we act now, decisively, quickly and boldly, we can finally get ahead of this virus, we can finally get our economy moving again, and the people of this country have suffered far too much for too long.”

-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks, Justin Gomez and Molly Nagle

The House approved a massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, advancing President Joe Biden's top agenda item and providing more resources to schools and businesses, boost funding for vaccinations and testing, and grant financial relief to Americans across the country.

Democrats passed the measure early Saturday morning in a party-line vote, with Republicans united against the bill calling for slimmer, more-targeted relief.

All but two Democrats supported the bill in the 219-212 vote, and no Republicans backed the package.

Reps. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., and Jared Golden, D-Maine, voted against the legislation.

The Senate is expected to take up the legislation next week, after the chamber's parliamentarian ruled that Democrats could not include a $15 minimum wage in the proposal over budgetary concerns.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Trish Turner

Addressing Texas’ effort to recover from the recent winter storm and the nation’s effort to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, President Joe Biden offered a message of unity Friday night in calling on the nation to put aside partisanship and instead focus on working toward a common cause.

"When a crisis hits our states like the one to hit Texas, it's not a Republican or Democrat that’s hurting, it's our fellow Americans who are hurting, and it's our job to help everyone in need. Look out for one another, leave nobody behind. That's what we've seen today in our visit," Biden said, addressing a group in a parking lot outside a mass vaccination site in Houston.

He committed to the people of Texas that the federal government will not turn its back in the long road to recovery: "We will be true partners to help you recover and rebuild from the storms and this pandemic and the economic crisis. We're in for the long haul."

Turning to the topic of the pandemic, Biden applauded the progress on vaccinations -- specifically pointing to the Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel recommending authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"It's incredible. The precision, the safety, the pride, the sense of purpose, everyone involved at that facility. And we've all seen the news about Johnson & Johnson vaccine, today’s, just -- the third safe, effective vaccine. And it's out. It’s -- They've approved it today,” he said.

The president made a plea for taking politics out of the pandemic, saying it should unite and not divide the nation.

"There is nothing partisan about this virus. It's too long we've allowed the virus to divide us. I met today with Gov. [Greg] Abbott, Sen. [John] Cornyn, conservative Republicans. I'm a Democratic president," he said. "We disagree on plenty of things, and there is nothing wrong with that, but there are plenty of things we can work on together. And one of them is represented right here today -- the effort to speed up vaccinations."

"We're not giving shots to Democrats or Republicans. I say it again, we're giving shots to Americans," he added.

-ABC News' Jordyn Phelps