US Democrats push forward on COVID relief with budget vote
Vice President Kamala Harris casts first tie-breaker vote to pass measure, moving forward without Republican support.
The United States Senate has approved a budget resolution that is a key step towards the fast-track passage of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without support from Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair early on Friday to cast the tie-breaking vote, her first.
The budget now returns to the House, which will vote on Friday on the Senate’s amended version.
Democrats in the chamber applauded after Harris announced the 51-50 vote at about 5:30am (10:30 GMT). The action came after a gruelling all-night session, where senators voted on amendments that could define the contours of the eventual COVID-19 aid bill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the passage of the resolution the “first big step to putting our country back on the road to recovery”.
The “budget resolution” Democrats passed in the Senate, following its House of Representatives passage on Wednesday, unlocks a legislative tool called reconciliation. It is designed to allow Democrats to approve Biden’s proposal in the narrowly divided chamber with a simple majority.
Today, with the passage of this budget resolution to provide relief to our working families, we have the opportunity not only to address the pandemic and the economic collapse—we have the opportunity to give hope to the American people and restore faith in our government. pic.twitter.com/AKEp63Ofyt
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 5, 2021
Most legislation must get at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate to pass. But the chamber is divided 50-50 and Republicans oppose the Democratic president’s proposal. Reconciliation allowed the Senate’s 48 Democrats and two independents who align with them to approve the relief package with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Harris.
Its final passage in the House will unlock the next phase in drafting of the virus relief bill, with the work divided among several congressional committees.
By moving on a fast track, the goal for Democrats is to have COVID relief approved by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires. It is an aggressive timeline that will test the ability of the new administration and Congress to deliver.
Biden, who has been meeting with lawmakers in recent days to discuss the package, will talk on Friday at the White House with the House committee chairs who will be assembling the bill under the “reconciliation” process.
Biden also plans to make remarks on Friday on the economy as he keeps up the pressure on Congress to “act big” on his relief package.
The virus death toll already has exceeded 455,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally, and it has strained the economy. Almost 4,600,000 people were receiving unemployment assistance for the week ending January 23.
Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims
Initial claims were 779,000 for the week ending 1/30 (-33,000).
Insured unemployment was 4,592,000 for the week ending 1/23 (-193,000).https://t.co/ys7Eg5LKAW
— US Labor Department (@USDOL) February 4, 2021
Biden’s goal is to have COVID-19 relief approved by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid measures expire. Money for vaccine distributions, direct payments to households, school reopenings and business aid are at stake.
Test of priorities
The marathon Senate session brought test votes on several Democratic priorities, including a $15 minimum wage. The Senate by voice vote adopted an amendment from Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, opposed to raising the wage during the pandemic. Ernst said a wage rise at this time would be “devastating” for small businesses.
None of the amendments to the budget are binding on Democrats as they draft their COVID plan, but the passage of a wage increase could prove difficult. Even if a $15 wage can get past procedural challenges in the final bill, its passage will require the support from every Democrat in the 50-50 Senate, which could be a tall order.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a vocal proponent of the wage increase, promised to press ahead. “We need to end the crisis of starvation wages,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday night during the same debate session, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to exclude upper-income Americans from a new round of direct payments to help stimulate the economy.
By a vote of 99-1, the Senate approved an amendment recommending that high-income earners not qualify for a new round of government cheques that could amount to $1,400 for individuals. Republican Senator Rand Paul was the lone dissenter.
Details of the income cap would still have to be worked out in subsequent legislation.
The Senate also voted for an amendment that stops undocumented migrants from receiving aid from the bill.
The first payment last March provided $1,200 for eligible individuals and $2,400 for most married couples, with an additional $500 per eligible child. The payments began phasing out at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples.
Senate Democrats and the Biden administration have left the door open to Republican participation but have said they want quick, comprehensive legislation.
Republican lawmakers have said they could offer up to 20 amendments, including one to reverse the cancellation of the Keystone pipeline and block a higher minimum wage.