House advances $ 1.9 trillion relief bill

On Monday, the House moved forward with its $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, setting the stage for a passage later this week.

The House Budget Committee pushed the bill forward in a 19-16 vote as Democrats rush to beat the March 14 deadline to extend key unemployment programs. The party is trying to squeeze the proposal through a budget reconciliation, which allows it to cross the evenly divided Senate without Republican support.

The main provisions of the bill include:

• An unemployment insurance supplement of $ 400 per week until August 29
• The extension of pandemic-era programs expanding unemployment benefits to on-demand and self-employed workers and increasing the number of weeks that individuals can receive payments until August 29
• Direct payments of $ 1,400 for individuals earning up to $ 75,000 and couples earning up to $ 150,000, which phase out income to $ 100,000 and $ 200,000, respectively
• Household assistance up to $ 3,600 per child over a year
• A gradual increase in the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour by 2025
• 20 billion dollars for a national vaccination program against Covid-19
• $ 170 billion to help K-12 schools and higher education institutions reopen and provide student assistance
• $ 350 billion in aid to state, local and tribal governments

The bill will pass through the House Rules Committee before heading to the House floor, where Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Hope to pass it as early as this weekend. end.

Democrats say they aim to streamline the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine and support the more than 18 million people receiving unemployment benefits in the United States. Party leaders have argued that they cannot afford to inject too little money into the federal response as the country tries to regain some sense of normalcy.

“Without additional resources, we’ll never get to where we need to be,” House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., Said at the start of the markup hearing on Monday afternoon.

“We are not going to wait. We are going to pass this legislation and we are going to reverse this pandemic and this economic crisis,” Yarmuth said.

Many Republicans backed the funding to boost the vaccination effort, but questioned the need for another massive relief program.

“It’s the wrong plan at the wrong time and for all the wrong reasons,” said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the most Republican on the budget panel, at the hearing.

Smith noted that some of the money included in the bill is not expected to be spent until the following fiscal year. He also wondered why some stimulus funds from past aid bills were not being spent.

Smith attempted to postpone the vote while awaiting a debriefing on stimulus spending already passed, while insisting, “I’m not trying to kill your legislation.” The committee rejected this proposal.

President Joe Biden has said he would rather pass a bill now without any GOP support than negotiate for weeks and agree to a smaller Republican-backed plan.

“Critics say the plan is too big,” Biden said earlier Monday afternoon. “Let me ask them a rhetorical question: What do you want me to cut? What would you leave out?

The president added that he was ready to hear proposals on how to make the plan “better and cheaper”.

“But we need to clarify who we are helping and who it would hurt,” Biden said.

Congress’ failure to renew pandemic-era unemployment programs – from their expiration last summer until lawmakers passed another relief bill in December – contributed to the downfall millions of Americans in poverty.

The bill that the House passes may not be the one that will ultimately become law. The Senate parliamentarian has yet to determine whether the chamber can pass the increase in the minimum wage in a reconciliation bill.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have both indicated they could oppose the pay hike if allowed in the Senate proposal.

This story is developing. Please come back for updates.

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