Budget Issues Amid COVID-19... Biden's First Summer Vacation Hits Snag

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] U.S. President Joe Biden's summer vacation plans this year are changing almost daily.

On the 10th (local time), the Associated Press reported that President Biden's vacation plans have been continuously altered due to the spread of COVID-19 and issues with the congressional approval of the infrastructure budget bill.

The proposed vacation spots vary, including President Biden's home in Delaware, nearby beaches, the presidential retreat Camp David, and there is even the option of staying at the White House.

Historically, U.S. presidents have left Washington in August to escape the summer heat. Initially, President Biden hoped to begin his two-week summer vacation this week, but it was not easy to leave Washington due to the $1 trillion infrastructure budget bill.

When congressional negotiations stalled last week, President Biden left for his home in Wilmington, Delaware over the weekend, and his staff returned to the White House on Sunday the 8th to plan a celebration for the Senate passage of the infrastructure bill.

However, as Senate discussions were not concluded, the return was postponed to the 9th and then delayed by another day. Ultimately, he returned to Washington on the 10th after the budget bill passed the Senate hurdle.

The AP reported, "President Biden does not plan to return to Wilmington this weekend and is expected to spend the weekend at Camp David." It is uncertain where he will spend the following week.

The COVID-19 situation also influenced the plans. Before the Delta variant surged, the staff had considered domestic national park visits for President Biden as a way to encourage safe travel for citizens.

However, as circumstances changed, a plan was considered to split the two-week vacation period in Biden's hometown Delaware between two locations: his Wilmington home and a beach house in Rehoboth Beach.

President Biden prefers Wilmington, which is close to Washington and where he can be with family, including his grandchildren. Since his inauguration, he has spent 14 out of 29 weekends there.

However, questions have been raised about the president frequently traveling home using taxpayers' money. The White House emphasized that "considering the pandemic, a quiet vacation was planned" and highlighted that the president cannot fully step away from work even during vacation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.