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WASHINGTON – The Senate passed a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Saturday, closing a night-time marathon session after Democrats resolved internal clashes that threatened to derail President Joe Biden’s top legislative priority.
The sweeping legislation includes $ 1,400 in stimulus checks, $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits during the summer, a children’s allowance of up to $ 3,600 for a year, $ 350 billion in aid workers. State, $ 34 billion to expand the Affordable Care Act subsidies and $ 14 billion to distribute vaccines.
The final vote was 50-49 along party lines, with each Republican voting “no.” It came after Democrats voted against a series of Republican amendments on repeated 50-49 votes to avoid disrupting the delicate deal between progressive and moderate senators.
Before it can be signed by Biden, the bill will have to pass the House again because the Senate made changes to its version, which Democrats approved in party direction last Saturday.
Biden called the aid package “urgently needed” and praised the Senate for passing it on Saturday, saying he would get Americans “checks at the door” this month. “
“Resources from this plan will be used to speed up vaccine manufacturing and distribution, so that we can get every American immunized as soon as possible,” he said.
He praised the Senate and praised the “overwhelming bipartisan support of the American people,” referring to a poll that indicates the legislation is widely popular.
The vote was a first critical test of the ability of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to keep the 50 Democrats united behind a major bill despite being an ideologically and regionally diverse caucus.
“From the start, we said this: we had to pass this legislation,” Schumer told reporters. “We promised the American people that we were going to give them the real relief they needed. And now we have kept that promise.”
He added: “I was confident from the start. I just told the president that when he called me. And I said, I knew we would get there.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Criticized Democrats for taking a partisan approach and argued they would not deserve credit for the economic recovery.
“The Senate has never spent $ 2 trillion more haphazardly or less rigorously,” he said. “Democrats have inherited a tide that is already turning.”
The legislation would be a victory for Biden, who campaigned for the presidency primarily on bringing Covid-19 under control and reviving a crumbling economy. The program also includes many progressive priorities, although others, such as raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, have been eliminated.
The absence of Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, due to a family emergency, prevented Vice President Kamala Harris from having to break a tie in the House 50-50, which she had to do to allow the Senate to begin debate on the bill. .
Senate changes to the House-passed version of the plan include reducing unemployment benefits to $ 300 (from $ 400 in the House bill) and extending them slightly until September 6. The Senate limited eligibility for checks of $ 1,400 by capping payments for them. who earn $ 80,000 or $ 160,000 for couples. And the bill subsidizes 100% of COBRA insurance coverage for unemployed Americans, up from 85% in the home version.
The Senate also approved some modest and uncontroversial amendments proposed by both sides before adopting the final version.
The Senate appeared ready to begin the long process, known as the “vote-a-rama”, on Friday morning. But then Democratic leaders paused to settle a last-minute jobless benefits dispute and keep West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin on board after he appeared ready to side with the Republicans and change this provision, a decision that would have alienated the progressives.
As a result, Democrats dragged out the first vote of the day for 11 hours and 50 minutes, setting a record for the longest Senate vote.
In the end, Manchin agreed to support a provision backed by other Democrats that also allows the first $ 10,200 of unemployment benefits to be tax-free for earnings of up to $ 150,000.
“The president has made it clear that we will have enough vaccines for every American by the end of May, and I am confident that the economic recovery will follow,” Manchin said. “We have come to a compromise that allows the economy to rebound quickly while protecting unemployment benefit recipients from an unexpected tax bill next year.”
Biden was in contact with Manchin during negotiations over the unemployment benefit compromise, a source familiar with the talks said.
Carol E. Lee, Kelly O’Donnell, Frank Thorp V and Julie Tsirkin contributed.
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