The Senate’s version of President Biden’s massive COVID-19 relief bill matches the one passed by the House last week — mostly. But there are major differences. Here’s how the bill looks now.
OUT: a federal $15 minimum wage mandate
IN: $1,400 stimulus payments for most wage earners
OUT: the House’s $100,000 stimulus ceiling — Senate bill eliminates the payout for single filers earning over $80,000 and couples over $160k
IN: extension of $300 weekly boost for unemployment checks through Sept. 6, plus tax relief on those benefits
OUT: House’s plan to increase the weekly amount to $400
IN: $350 billion in aid to cash-strapped states and cities, plus a Senate-added $10 billion for local infrastructure projects
OUT: no-strings rules on use of the aid; can only cover expenses incurred through 2024 --->READ MORE HERE
The Senate passed a massive coronavirus aid spending bill Saturday after hours of debate on GOP amendments and a protracted fight among Democrats over unemployment benefits.
The $1.9 trillion legislation heads back to the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi must sell the measure to her liberal faction of Democrats who are likely to oppose the changes made in the Senate
The bill passed 50-49, with one senator, Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska, absent.
While the House passed the bill last week, Senate Democrats made significant changes to appease party centrists and adhere to Senate rules that allowed them to pass the bill without any Republican support. Democrats stripped out a provision that would have mandated a $15 minimum wage and agreed to reduce the monthly enhanced jobless pay from $400 to $300.
The changes have angered the party’s liberal base, including those in the House Democratic Caucus, so it will be up to both Pelosi and President Biden to help usher through the Senate version before March 14, when federal unemployment benefits are set to expire. House Democrats control a very narrow majority and can afford to lose only a handful of votes in their own caucus since no GOP lawmakers are likely to vote for it. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to related stories:
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