House Democrats on Wednesday passed a massive $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill with the goal of having it on President Joe Biden’s table over the weekend. before major federal unemployment benefits began to expire for many workers on March 14th.
With a 220-211 vote (without Republicans voting in favor), Democrats handed Biden a crucial first legislative victory. The White House said it would sign the measure on Friday.
“For weeks now, an overwhelming percentage of Americans – Democrats, Independents and Republicans – have made it clear that they support the American rescue plan. Today, with the final passage in the House of Representatives, their voice, ”Biden said in a statement praising House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who spoke in the House just before the vote.
“Today we have a decision to make with a tremendous tremendous consequence. A decision that will make a difference for millions of Americans, saving lives and livelihoods. And with all the decisions, it’s a decision we will have to respond to,” she said. he said. “We will give the American rescue plan a resounding vote and hope it is bipartisan to reflect the bipartisan support it has in the country.”
“And we will start working immediately to provide life-saving resources that will spring up from this bill as soon as it is passed and signed. As we join President Biden in the promise, in his promise that there is finally help along the way.For people, for children, I demand a “yes” vote, ”he said.
A Democrat joined Republicans to vote against the measure. Representative Jared Golden of Maine had cited concerns about the cost and scope of the legislation.
Right after the measure was passed, top House and Senate Democratic leaders gathered on the west terrace of the Capitol building to enact the grand legislation.
Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer formally signed the bill with the National Mall as a backdrop.
“This is a momentous day in the history of our country because we have passed historic, consistent and transformative legislation,” Pelosi said.
“Help is on the way!” Schumer exclaimed several times from the podium.
The final vote was delayed when Republican Party Representative Majorie Taylor Greene was forced to suspend voting on a motion, which was deeply defeated.
House Democratic Caucus Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., told reporters Tuesday that he was “110% sure” his party had the votes to approve the plan without any Republican Party support.
Republicans argued over the price and billions went to what they called unrelated items on the Democrats’ “wish list.”
“It is a real tragedy when you look at this package, we know that the results of this package will be middle class tax increases, we know for sure that it includes provisions that are not addressed, are not temporary, but are not related to COVID , and it hasn’t had to be that way, ”GOP House conference chair Liz Cheney said Tuesday.
“We could have had a bill that would be a fraction of the cost of it that could get the approval and support of bipartisanship, but the speaker decided to go in another direction. We will be burdened with a burden, a expense burden, and a really indefensible tax burden from the perspective of what you actually do, ”Cheney said.
“I feel sad for them because they are so alienated from meeting the needs of the American people and alienated from the support this bill has among Republicans across the country,” Pelosi said Monday.
The legislation originally authorized the House in late February, but the House had to re-approve the bill after making changes to the Senate.
The bill would send 1,400 incentive checks to people earning $ 75,000 or less and to couples earning up to $ 150,000. The Senate version of the bill restricted eligibility for stimulus controls. Payments would be phased out for those earning more than $ 80,000. This means that many who qualified for previous rounds of relief payments will not receive any this time.
Democratic leaders were also forced to cut weekly unemployment benefits from $ 300 to $ 400, with federal reinforcement through Sept. 6. The first $ 10,200 in income for unemployed Americans earning less than $ 150,000 would be tax-free.
The bill also includes a child tax credit that gives families $ 3,000 per child per year.
The legislation also sends $ 350 billion to state, local and tribal governments, $ 50 billion for contact tracking, $ 16 billion for vaccine distribution, $ 130 billion for K-12 education, funding for to rent and mortgage grants, support for restaurants and bars, funding for nutrition programs and more.
The White House has previously said that Americans who meet the requirements for stimulus checks should see how payments reach their accounts before the end of the month.
On Thursday, Biden will make his first speech in the early hours “to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced during a briefing Monday .
“He will discuss the many sacrifices that the American people have made over the past year and the severe losses that communities and families have suffered. The president will look ahead, highlighting the role that Americans will play in defeating the virus and to restore the normalcy of the country, “Psaki said.