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Washington – The Senate approved that of President Biden $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Saturday, more than 24 hours after the opening of the debate on the bill. A grueling amendment process, known as the “vote-a-rama,” was stalled for nearly 12 hours on Friday due to disagreements within the Democratic caucus over an unemployment insurance benefit.
The final vote was 50-49, with all Democrats voting for the bill and all Republicans voting against. Passage of the bill was met with cheers and applause from Democrats, celebrating passing one of Mr Biden’s top priorities. Vice President Kamala Harris did not need to visit Capitol Hill to sever ties as GOP Senator Dan Sullivan left due to a family emergency on Friday.
Democrats won a victory lap after the bill was passed, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer telling reporters after the vote that “this is a big day for this country.” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders called the bill “the most important law to benefit working families in the modern history of this country.”
President Biden called the plan “historic” during a speech on Saturday.
“For over a year Americans were told they were alone,” he said, before adding later: “This nation has suffered too much for too long, and everything in this package is designed to alleviate suffering and meet the nation’s most pressing needs. “
The president noted that 85% of American households will soon receive direct payments of $ 1,400 per person, and that a “typical middle-class family of four” will receive $ 5,600. “It means the mortgage can be paid. It means keeping the health insurance you have. It’s going to make a big difference in so many lives in this country,” he said.
Senator Debbie Stabenow said passing the bill was an emotional moment for Democrats.
“The people on the floor, in our caucus, it was almost like tears in their eyes. I mean, I felt it, ”Stabenow said.
The House will vote on the amended bill on Tuesday, after the House passed a slightly different version of the bill last week. If approved by the House, it will then go to Mr. Biden’s office for his signature. Schumer said he was confident the Senate version of the bill would pass in the House.
“They feel like we are doing it, we have to get there,” he said.
Economic relief legislation is widely popular, with a recent poll showing a majority of Americans support it, especially the provision that says $ 1,400 in direct checks to employees earning less than $ 75,000. Senate Democrats have reached a deal to limit eligibility for who receives direct checks earlier this week. Other provisions of the bill include additional weekly unemployment benefits of $ 300 through September 6, child allowance of up to $ 3,600 per family, $ 350 billion in aid to state and local governments. and $ 14 billion for vaccine distribution.
Mr. Biden thanked the American people for their “overwhelming bipartisan support” for the package, without which “it would not have happened,” he said.
The final vote came after an arduous “vote-a-rama”, in which the Senate debated, considered and voted on 39 amendments over a 25-hour period. The process was initially delayed by a deadlock involving Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate from West Virginia who has become a key player in an equally divided Senate.
On Friday night, Senate Democrats reached a deal Manchin accepted after a lengthy meeting with Schumer. The compromise amendment extended additional UI benefits until September 6, makes the first $ 10,200 of UI benefits tax-free for households with incomes below $ 150,000, and extends the rules tax on excess business loss limits until 2026.
The compromise amendment was approved by 50 votes to 49 shortly after 1 a.m. It was almost identical to an amendment proposed as part of a deal reached Friday morning by progressives and moderates, with the only change being the income cap for non-taxable benefits.
Mr Biden stressed during his speech on Saturday that the deal provides assistance to the 11 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic – and whose benefits were “about to expire,” he said. he declared.
Manchin assumed a powerful role in the caucus because he is one of the decisive votes in an equally divided Senate. Democrats have 50 seats, which means there is no room for dissent in the ranks: losing the support of a single senator means losing the overall vote. Earlier on Friday, Manchin appeared to lean in favor of an amendment introduced by GOP Senator Rob Portman that would have cut unemployment insurance benefits from $ 400 to $ 300 and only extended them until June. .
Bloomberg / Contributor
The “vote-a-rama” began Friday morning with a failed vote on an amendment proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders that would have raised the federal minimum wage.. But the vote remained open even after all senators voted, preventing the next amendment from being considered and allowing Democrats to work behind the scenes to convince Manchin to support their amendment on unemployment insurance benefits.
After nearly 12 hours, the vote on Sanders’ amendment closed shortly before 11 p.m., making it the longest vote in modern Senate history. The “vote-a-rama” then resumed shortly before midnight with a vote on the Portman UI benefit amendment, which was passed 50 to 49, with Manchin’s backing. However, this amendment will be overturned by the Democratic Amendment, which was passed a few hours later and which Manchin also supported. This compromise amendment will be included in the final bill.
Manchin admitted to reporters after the final vote on the bill on Saturday afternoon that negotiations “took longer than they should have,” but said he was satisfied with the final bill.
“We did it and got a better deal,” Manchin said.
The Senate met Friday morning with two hours of debate, followed by a vote on Sanders’ amendment, which would have raised the minimum wage without tip to $ 15 an hour by 2025, and the minimum wage tip at $ 14.75 over seven years. Parliamentarian of the Senate ruled last week that the Senate could not include a provision raising the minimum wage to $ 15 under the reconciliation rules, so GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham raised a point of order challenging the amendment.
Manchin, along with Democratic Senators Jon Tester, Jeanne Shaheen, Kyrsten Sinema, Chris Coons, Tom Carper and Maggie Hassan, joined Republicans in voting against the inclusion of this provision. Senator Angus King, an independent who teams up with Democrats, also voted against adding the minimum wage hike to the bill. Manchin and Sinema in particular had previously expressed their opposition to raising the minimum wage to $ 15.
Congress uses the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill, which limits debate time and allows the legislation to pass by simple majority, a workaround that avoids the 60-vote threshold that most bills require to advance to the Senate. If every Democrat supports the final bill, it would pass without any Republican support.
But Republicans are critical of the size of the bill and are frustrated that Democrats are using the reconciliation process, arguing they are taking a partisan path rather than working across the aisle. Democrats respond that they don’t need to waste time negotiating with Republicans to hit the 60-vote threshold and pass a smaller package.
In retaliation, Republican senators have sought to make the amendment process politically painful for Democrats, with mixed results. One of those votes could be on an amendment to prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving stimulus checks. During the “vote-a-rama” last month on the budget resolution to set up the reconciliation process, eight Democrats joined all Republicans in voting for the amendment, infuriating progressives. However, when the Senate voted on the amendment on Saturday morning, it failed without any Democratic support.
The Senate approved two amendments by voice vote, one on veterans education and the other on helping homeless children. The latest amendment was proposed by GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Manchin, and will devote $ 800 billion in education funding specifically for homeless children. The final amendment considered during the “vote-a-rama” was a bipartisan amendment sponsored by GOP Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Mark Warner, extending protections for federal contractors until September 30.
The Senate version of the bill differs from the House bill in several ways, including the amendments passed Friday and Saturday. Some recently added measures, according to a Democratic Senate aide, include $ 510 million for FEMA and $ 750 million for states and communities affected by the loss of jobs and income in the tourism, travel and outdoor recreation. Another provision provides funding for education, including $ 1.25 billion for evidence-based summer enrichment, $ 1.25 billion for after-school programs and $ 3 billion for educational technology. . It would also make COVID-19 student loan relief tax-exempt.
A vote on the motion to proceed with debate on the bill resulted in a party line vote Thursday afternoon, with Harris breaking the tie 50-50. Although budget reconciliation rules allow up to 20 hours of debate before the “vote-a-rama,” Republicans and Democrats have only used two, after GOP Senator Ron Johnson forced the Clerk of the Senate read the entire bill aloud Thursday evening. The process took almost 11 hours and ended early Friday morning. The Senate agreed to meet later Friday morning for up to three hours of debate, but the time saved by limiting debate time was quickly lost with the nearly 12-hour delay on the change in insurance. unemployment.
“The bottom line is this: This plan puts us on the path to beating this virus,” Biden said on Saturday. “This plan gives families who are having the most difficulties the help and leeway they need to get through this moment. This plan gives small businesses in this country a chance to survive. And one more thing,” he said. he added. “the plan is historic.”
Jack Turman and Audrey McNamara contributed reporting.
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