Democrats want to vote on Biden’s stimulus package at the end of next week

• Pelosi says Democrats are preparing for a floor vote at the end of next week.
• She also said House Democrats were communicating with the Senate to ensure the bill adheres to strict budget rules.
• Democrats want to enact the package by mid-March to avoid the expiration of federal unemployment programs.
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that House Democrats aim to hold a floor vote for President Joe Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion federal bailout at the end of next week. But she also acknowledged that some procedural hurdles remained before the bill was enacted.

The California Democrat said in his weekly press conference that House Democrats wanted to vote on the package by the end of February.

“At the same time, there is communication with the Senate on what the Byrd rule will allow in bills as we move forward,” Pelosi said, referring to part of the reconciliation process Democrats use.

The reconciliation process is a shortcut that allows Democrats to approve the package with a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the 60 usually needed to thwart a Republican filibuster.

But reconciliation has strict guidelines governing it, and Byrd’s Rule is the main one. He emphasizes that every provision of a bill must be linked to the federal budget in order to be adopted. The Senate parliamentarian is interpreting the rule, and he has led experts to say that elements of the bill unrelated to taxes and spending will not survive the process.

The race in mid-March

Democrats are rushing to approve the package before enhanced unemployment insurance expires on March 14, a timeline that leaves very little room for error. The House budget committee said it would start assembling the final relief bill on Monday, a week after the legislation was slated to be scribbled.

The current draft of the House proposal would provide $ 1,400 in stimulus checks and $ 400 in federal unemployment benefits, and also begin to gradually implement a minimum wage of $ 15. It also includes funding for vaccine distribution, virus testing, and state and local governments, among other provisions.

Republicans argue the spending level is too high after Congress passed a $ 900 billion package in December. Last year, lawmakers and President Donald Trump authorized $ 4 trillion in emergency spending to fight the pandemic.

The GOP sharply criticized the $ 15 minimum wage as a step that would cost jobs. The parliamentarian of the Senate can also delete it from the final package.

Progressives are defending the measure as a critical pay raise for hourly workers since Congress hasn’t raised wages for more than a decade.

“Frankly, given the makeup of the Senate, this is our best opportunity and the right time in the midst of this pandemic to give millions of workers a long overdue raise,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash. ), Chair of the Progressive Caucus, told reporters Thursday.

Democrats are also starting to consider their next legislative priorities, which could include a multibillion-dollar infrastructure package. On Wednesday, Biden met with key labor leaders at the White House to begin garnering support from his allies.