The House approved President Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion COVID relief package in a vote of 219-212 in the early hours of Saturday morning, sending it to the Senate for possible rewriting before it reaches the Biden counter.
The big picture: The vote was a critical first step for the package, which includes $ 1,400 in cash for many Americans, a national vaccination program, expanded COVID testing and contact tracking, state and local funding, and money to help the reopening of schools.
- Two Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Kurt Schrader (Ore), joined Republicans in voting against the bill.
What to see: The bill will likely go through a review in the upper house after the Senate lawmaker rules that a $ 15 minimum wage increase cannot be added to the relief package.
- The House maintained the minimum wage increase in its plan, but it consisted primarily of keeping the Progressive Democrats on board before retiring to the Senate.
- At a news conference Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders insisted they were not worried that progressive Democrats would not vote on a final bill with Senate changes.
- “There is uniform support for this transformative legislation in the Democratic College of the House. There is no fair to partially clouded view” of the package, said College President Hakeem Jeffries.
The highlight of the invoice:
- Expansion of federal funding for COVID programs, including $ 46 billion for testing and tracking; $ 7.6 billion for pandemic response to community health centers; $ 5.2 million to support research, development and manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutic products and other medical products; and $ 7.7 billion to expand the public health workforce.
- Stimulus payments of $ 1,400 for Americans earning less than $ 75,000. People who earn between $ 75,000 and $ 100,000 would do so you will receive less, with a limit for those earning more than $ 100,000.
- $ 128.6 billion to help reopen K-12 schools.
- $ 350 billion in state and local aid.
- $ 25 billion in aid to restaurants and other food and drink establishments.
- $ 19 billion in emergency rental aid.
- $ 7.25 million in funds for loans from the Payment Check Protection Program.
- Unemployment benefits would be extended through Aug. 29 and supplementary benefits would increase from $ 300 to $ 400.