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Democrats are another big step towards achieving their first major goal of the Joe Biden era. Early Saturday morning, the United States House approved a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill in a nearly online vote.
The 219-212 vote allows the US Senate to formally pass the legislation, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) intends to do immediately. But the party is under arms: Many Democrats see March 14 – the day extended unemployment benefits run out for millions – as a de facto deadline to get the so-called US bailout on desk by Biden.
The legislation would replenish relief for the unemployed by extending a weekly check for $ 400 until August. He’s also keeping a number of other promises Democrats campaigned on in 2020: direct stimulus checks of $ 1,400 to supplement the $ 600 checks issued in December, billions of dollars to speed up vaccine delivery, funds for schools; and assistance to state and local governments. The House bill passed with an increase in the federal minimum wage – but the Senate procedural officer found the proposal not to comply with the rules to speed up a House bill high. It effectively kills the prospects of a clean wage hike under COVID legislation.
Previous rounds of major COVID legislation were passed by the House with bipartisan support, but Friday’s vote virtually confirmed that Biden’s first relief effort will follow a fully partisan path. The GOP, embroiled in infighting over the Jan.6 attack and the impeachment of Donald Trump, found cause for unity in opposing the back-up plan, which they called a vehicle inflated for liberal wishlist items. Democrats were hoping at least a few Republicans would vote for the plan, but not a single GOP lawmaker has backed the legislation, and its chances of picking up many Republicans from the Senate appear slim.
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