House Democrats approved their $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package in a party vote Saturday morning, advancing President Biden
Joe BidenBiden “disappointed” by Senate Senate decision, but “respects” Taylor Swift’s decision, which celebrates the passage of the House Equality Actthe highest legislative priority.
Lawmakers passed Bill 219-212, with two Democrats: Representatives Jared Golden (Maine) and Kurt Schrader
Walter (Kurt) Kurt SchraderHouse Democrats to keep minimum wage hike in COVID-19 relief bill to vote Friday Democrats face Biden bill unity test. (Ore.): Join all Republicans to vote against. Democrats could only afford up to four defections with their narrow majority in the House.
The passage of the bill comes days after the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. exceeded 500,000 people, while the most contagious virus variants remain a threat to contain the pandemic.
Lawmakers hope to take advantage of the momentum of vaccines that are gradually reaching people to end the global pandemic that has shaken American life for most of last year.
The aid package is now headed to the Senate, where Democrats are expected to amend it next week and send it back to the House for approval before expiration insurance benefits expire. unemployment on March 14th.
The legislation, which was modeled after Biden’s proposal, includes provisions to provide a third round of direct stimulus controls of up to $ 1,400 for people, a weekly increase in unemployment insurance of $ 400 through Aug. 29 and $ 8.5 billion in funding for the Centers for Disease Control. and Prevention (CDC) to distribute, track, and promote public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
Direct payments of up to $ 1,400 for individuals or $ 2,800 for married couples are the largest pandemic impact payments to date, after the previous two rounds last year, which topped 1,200 and $ 600.
People with incomes of up to $ 75,000 and married couples earning up to $ 150,000 would be eligible for the full amounts, while payments would be phased out for people earning up to $ 100,000 or $ 200,000. for couples.
Other key parts of the massive package include $ 350 billion for state and local governments, $ 130 billion to help reopen K-12 schools for classroom face-to-face training, and an expansion of the children’s tax credit at $ 3,000 per child or $ 3,600 for children under six. years old.
But a component of the bill the House passed early Saturday is doomed to be left on the floor of the courtroom once it reaches the Senate: an increase in the current federal minimum wage of $ 7.25 per hour at $ 15.
The Senate MP ruled Thursday that raising the minimum wage would not conform to the budget rules needed to pass bills under the reconciliation process, which Democrats are using because their pandemic relief package does not be subject to a GOP obstacle in the upper house.
House Democrats chose to keep the minimum wage provision in the bill as a show of support for the highest progressive priority.
“Although it is inconceivable for some, it is inevitable for us. And we will work diligently to shorten the distance between the inevitable and the inconceivable, “Speaker said Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi: Minimum Wage Rise Revives Progressive Calls on Senate House Democrat to Keep Minimum Wage Rise on COVID-19 Relief Bill for Friday’s Voting Schiff Sees Challenges for Committee intelligence, community in the shadow of Trump (D-California) said about the salary increase.
The push to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 has been seen with a sharp drop in Republicans and a handful of centrist Democratic lawmakers, who cited a report from the Congressional Budget Office that estimated that while it would lift 900,000 people out of poverty, it would also lead to 1.4 million job losses.
Only one House Democrat, Rep. Kurt Schrader (Ore), voted against a bill in 2019 to raise the minimum wage to $ 15. While Schrader’s preference for a regionally adjusted minimum wage above a $ 15 federal statute did not threaten the prospects of the House aid package, it is a more delicate balance for the 50-50 Democrats in the Senate. .
Without democracy. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) Manchin: Minimum Wage Rise Revives Progressive Calls on Senate Filibuster Biden, “Disappointed” by Senate Parliamentary Opinion, But “Respects” House Democrats’ Decision to Maintain a Minimum Wage Rise to the COVID-19 relief bill to vote MORE Friday (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) Expressed opposition to including the $ 15 minimum wage as part of the COVID-19 relief package. Manchin has called for raising the minimum wage to $ 11 an hour, arguing it is a more reasonable level for a state like West Virginia.
Democrats weigh Sens’ proposals. Ron Wyden
Ronald (Ron) Lee WydenBiden, a pre-candidate for the post-Trump trade agenda, is working to expand unemployment benefits for workers who reject employers bordering on COVID-19 rules Democrats are hesitant to raise taxes amid a pandemic MORE (Mineral.) I Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersHouse Democrats will keep a minimum wage hike in the COVID-19 relief bill for Friday’s vote. Sanders denounces the parliamentary decision on the minimum wage. (I-Vt.) That would impose sanctions on large companies that do not pay employees at least $ 15 per hour and encourage small businesses to increase workers ’wages.
A senior Democratic aide said Friday that the leader of the Senate majority Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerHillicon Valley: Biden signs a token order | Hearing on media misinformation Facebook agreement with Australia | CIA candidate for SolarWinds House Rules publishes new text of COVID-19 Budowsky relief bill: Cruz goes to Cancun, AOC goes to Texas MORE (DN.Y.) is considering adding this provision to the relief package, while top House Democrats were not yet committed to the idea.
Leader of the minority of the house Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthySchiff sees challenges for the information committee, the community in the shadow of Trump Cruz hires a Trump campaign press assistant while the Conservatives, communications director, chase Cheney for Trump. (R-California), meanwhile, called the proposed tax incentives “stupid” and wondered why the minimum wage and other provisions were associated with a bill related to tax relief. coronavirus.
“The swamp is back,” McCarthy said during the debate in the chamber. “I tell my colleagues that this bill is bold, that it is inflated. To those who say it is urgent, I tell them they are not focused. To those who say it’s popular, I tell them it’s totally partisan. He has the wrong priorities. “
The final vote on the pandemic relief package did not take place until well past midnight on Saturday, as Republicans delayed proceedings for several hours by speaking before the House Rules Committee on the more than 200 amendments that presented in the bill.
None of the Republican Party’s amendments, which needed to remove the bill from the minimum wage provision to require K-12 schools to have plans to reopen face-to-face education to access full funding, are not granted the minimum term.
Democrats may be able to pass a separate bill to raise the minimum wage, but it would be subject to a 60-vote threshold to remove a Senate hurdle.
“I guarantee you there will be an increase in the minimum wage before the election,” the chairman of the House Budget Committee said. John Yarmuth
John Allen Yarmuth: Democrats call for relief package to waive unemployment benefit taxes Democrats face minimum wage On The Money: Neera Tanden’s candidacy in jeopardy after three Republican boys | Trump collapses after SCOTUS rules on MORE financial records (D-Ky.) He told reporters at the Capitol. “Hold me.”
Progressives are calling for Vice President Harris, the Speaker of the Senate, to overturn the MP’s advisory opinion or for Democrats to remove the filibuster to ensure that the campaign promise of a minimum wage increase becomes law according to Biden.
“So it’s not just about the minimum wage, because Democrats made a lot of promises when they won the House, the Senate and the White House. And it will come out again and again. So we’ll have to choose here. We’ll stick to those rules. or will we use the levers of government to work for the people? “, said the President of the Progressive Congress Pramila Jayapal
Pramila JayapalBiden “disappointed” by Senate parliamentary decision, but “respects” House Democrats’ decision to maintain a minimum wage hike in COVID-19 relief bill for Friday’s vote The bill of law would withdraw the pension of the president convicted of MORE crime (D-Wash.).
“For me this is not radical, it is governing.”