On the 50th day US President Joe Biden has been in office, Congress gave him two victories — the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that was fought for and the confirmation of a key member of his cabinet, Attorney General Merrick Garland. Biden is also buoyed by signs of a recovery after more than a year of the deadly ravage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The biggest financial aid package since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the bill passed by the House of Representatives against total Republican opposition on Wednesday seeks to pull the nation from the depths of the Coronavirus pandemic by infusing money into the economy at large and into the pockets of individuals. Calling the bill a “consequential and transformative legislation”, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “This is a momentous day in the history of our country.” Twenty Republicans joined the Democrats in the Senate to confirm Garland as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Despite the title of attorney general, the position is more similar to that of the home minister as the official will control agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Agency and the enforcement of laws. The Senate also confirmed Michael Regan to a cabinet post as the administrator of the Environment Protection Agency.