President Joe Biden signed two executive orders on Friday to provide aid to millions of Americans struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The first one focused on expanding food stamps and delivering stimulus checks to very low-income Americans. And the other aimed at raising the minimum wage to $15 for the federal workers.

Before signing the orders, Biden said that they have to act now. CBS News reported. He noted that his administration would not let people go hungry.

Pres. Biden has earlier proposed a $1.9 trillion relief plan to Congress. However, it is unclear whether it will earn enough support from Republicans to pass on a bipartisan basis.

Biden's actions are intended as stopgap measures to stabilize the economy until Congress can pass another relief bill.

"We're in a national emergency. We need to act like we're in a national emergency. So we've got to move with everything we got," Pres. Biden said in an NBC News report.

Biden noted that the economy will be stronger in both the short and long run if they act now, adding that this is what the economists were telling them.

Related story: Biden's Executive Orders Put American Workers Last, Sen. Tom Cotton Says

Pres. Biden's Executive Orders

In the first executive order, Biden directed the Department of Agriculture to let the states increase the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or food stamps by 15 percent.

Pres. Biden also asked the Agriculture Department to increase Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits by 15 percent to reflect the cost of missed meals during the pandemic accurately. Families with children who would usually receive free or reduced-price lunches when schools in regular sessions are the ones to benefit from this order.

Administration officials said the newly signed order could provide a family with three children an additional $100 extra benefit every month.

Pres. Biden also requested the review of the Thrifty Food Plan of the Agriculture Department to better reflect the modern cost of a healthy diet. The Thrifty Food Plan is the basis for determining SNAP benefits. 

Biden's order also focused on ensuring efficient delivery of direct stimulus payments. The president directed the Treasury Department to update the system it uses to issue the payments after numerous Americans reported delays and issues getting the first two rounds of stimulus checks in 2020.

National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said the signed orders are not a substitute for the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Deese noted that the orders signed by Biden were instead a critical lifeline for several Americans who need assistance now.

The order also allows for workers who turn down employment because of health risk concerns amid the pandemic to still qualify for the jobless aid.

"No one should have to choose between their livelihoods and their own health or the health of loved ones in the middle of a deadly pandemic," Pres. Biden said.

The second executive order targeted to improve the collecting bargaining power and protections for the federal workforce. The president directed the Office of Personnel Management to develop recommendations to increase federal employees' $15-an-hour minimum wage.

Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package proposal includes $1,400 direct payments to Americans, enhanced unemployment benefits, and federal aid to state and local governments, among other measures. 

However, progressive Democrats argued that the proposal was not enough to address the country's economic needs and should include $2,000 payments, Fox News reported. 

Meanwhile, Republicans pushed for "targeted" relief focused on providing aid to small businesses and protecting workplaces from liability during the pandemic.

Pres. Biden has signed 17 orders on his first day in office, adding 10 more on Thursday that focused on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read also: Biden Administration Orders DHS to Pause Deportation for 100 Days