Democrats push Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID bill through Senate on party-line vote

[rooster59]

Democrats push Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID bill through Senate on party-line vote

By Richard Cowan, Makini Brice and David Morgan

 

FILE PHOTO: A man makes his way past the U.S. Capitol on the day the House of Representatives is expected to vote on legislation to provide $1.9 trillion in new coronavirus relief in Washington, U.S., February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan in a party-line vote after an all-night session that was delayed repeatedly as the Republican minority tried but failed to push through around three dozen amendments.

 

The plan passed in a 50-49 vote with the support of every Democrat but no Republicans. It is one of the largest stimulus bills in U.S. history and gives Biden his first major legislative victory since taking office in January.

 

The partisan victory was made possible by Democrats winning two Senate seats in Georgia special elections in January, giving them narrow control of the chamber.

 

Biden said on Saturday he hoped for quick passage of the revised bill by the House of Representatives so he could sign it and start sending $1,400 direct payments to Americans.

 

"This plan will get checks out the door starting this month to the American people, who so desperately need the help," Biden said at the White House after the vote.

 

The final bill includes $400 billion in one-time payments of $1,400 to many Americans, with a phase-out starting for those with annual incomes above $75,000.

 

It also includes $300 a week in extended jobless benefits for the 9.5 million people thrown out of work in the crisis.

 

Democrats agreed to reduce those benefits from $400 a week in order to secure passage in the Senate. They want the bill signed into law before current unemployment benefits expire on March 15.

 

About $350 billion in aid was also set aside for state and local governments that have seen the pandemic blow a hole in their budgets.

 

SENATE FIST BUMPS

 

House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Twitter that the House will vote Tuesday on the Senate-passed bill.

 

Democrats broke out in applause amid passage of the bill in the Senate on Saturday and liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders fist-bumped Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

 

Schumer said the bill would help the country get the upper hand against a pandemic that has killed more than 520,000 people across the United States and upended most aspects of daily life.

 

"I want the American people to know that we're going to get through this and someday soon our businesses will reopen, our economy will reopen and life will reopen," Schumer said.

 

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, however, had harsh words about the measure. "The Senate has never spent $2 trillion in a more haphazard way or through a less rigorous process," he said.

 

Republicans had sought a new round of aid about one-third the size of Biden's plan.

 

McConnell argued that even without this legislation, "2021 is already set to be our comeback year" because of relief bills enacted last year.

 

The measure comes as an increasing number of states have relaxed restrictions designed to curb the pandemic.

 

Texas earlier this week allowed most businesses to operate at full capacity and California saying it would soon allow Disneyland and other theme parks as well as sports stadiums to reopen at limited capacity.

 

But even as more and more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19, top infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that "now is not the time to pull back."

 

TWELVE-HOUR STANDOFF

 

Disagreements among Democrats over the jobless benefits and the all-night effort by Republicans to amend a bill that polls show is popular with voters illustrated the difficulty Biden will face in pushing other policies through a Senate that Democrats control by the narrowest of majorities.

 

The chamber set a record for its longest single vote in the modern era -- 11 hours and 50 minutes -- as Democrats negotiated a compromise on unemployment benefits to satisfy centrists such as Senator Joe Manchin, who walks a tightrope as a Democrat representing West Virginia, which backed Republican former President Donald Trump in the November election.

 

The extended unemployment payments, which are to be paid out on top of state jobless benefits, proved to be the most contentious part of the bill. The House bill had set the supplemental benefit at $400 a week, but Senate Democrats finally agreed to knock that down to $300.

 

The House bill also featured a measure to more than double the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which the Senate rejected.

 

Moderate Democrats had feared that the higher jobless benefits and minimum wage hike would overheat the economy and hurt businesses in rural states.

 

Asked if the changes would frustrate some Democrats who propelled him to office in the November elections, Biden said: "They're not frustrated. As Senator Sanders said, this is the most progressive bill since he's been here."

 

Senate Democrats used a process called reconciliation to pass the measure with a simple majority rather than the 60 of 100 votes normally required under the chamber's rules.

 

It was unclear whether Democrats will try to use that maneuver on other policy goals such as legislation dealing with climate change and immigration.

 

One Republican, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, left Washington on Friday night for a family funeral, meaning that Democrats did not need Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote in the normally 50-50 chamber.

 

Republicans broadly supported previous stimulus packages to fight the virus and revive the economy. But with Democrats in charge of the White House and both chambers of Congress, they criticized this bill as too expensive.

 

The country has yet to replace 9.5 million jobs lost since last year and the White House says it could take years to do so.

 

Washington got unexpected good news on Friday after data showed that U.S. employment surged in February, adding 379,000 jobs, significantly higher than many economists had expected.

 

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Susan Cornwell, Makini Brice and David Morgan; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose; Editing by Scott Malone, Kieran Murray and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-07

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

[placeholder]

This is what real populism looks like:

 

To Juice the Economy, Biden Bets on the Poor

WASHINGTON — To jump-start the ailing economy, President Biden is turning to the lowest-paid workers in America, and to the people who are currently unable to work at all.

Mr. Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic relief package, which cleared the Senate on Saturday and could be headed for the president’s signature in a matter of days, would overwhelmingly help low earners and the middle class, with little direct aid for the high earners who have largely kept their jobs and padded their savings over the past year...

Mr. Biden’s approach in his first major economic legislation is in stark contrast to President Donald J. Trump’s, whose initial effort in Congress was a tax-cut package in 2017 that largely benefited corporations and wealthier Americans.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/business/biden-economy.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

[Chomper Higgot]

Great news.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

I have some slight concerns about the amount spent, and that a big chunk may heave been better spent on infrastructure, but kudos to Biden for getting it through. It shows his strengths as a negotiator even if he just had to convince those to the right of his own party.

I think they'll be some funny scenes in houses of avid poorer Trump supporters as the cheques arise and they realise that Biden kept his promise and helped them directly. 

[placeholder]

6 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I have some slight concerns about the amount spent, and that a big chunk may heave been better spent on infrastructure, but kudos to Biden for getting it through. It shows his strengths as a negotiator even if he just had to convince those to the right of his own party.

I think they'll be some funny scenes in houses of avid poorer Trump supporters as the cheques arise and they realise that Biden kept his promise and helped them directly. 

Right now the economy needs an emergency transfusion. Infrastructure spending takes too long.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

29 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Right now the economy needs an emergency transfusion. Infrastructure spending takes too long.

Good point. It is good for people to be helped who have suffered the last 12 months. I just think of all the crumbling bridges and highways etc, and think of all the good that could come of it including building jobs and skills.

That compares  to $1400 being spent appropriately by some, to help with bills and their family, but by others at the liquor store, gambling and to get the latest phone. I don't mean to be judgemental or cynical but sales in those areas went up alot after handouts in Australia. Better that than more tax cuts for the rich or wealthier defence contractors.  

Edited March 7, 2021 by Fat is a type of crazy

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Good point. It is good for people to be helped who have suffered the last 12 months. I just think of all the crumbling bridges and highways etc, and think of all the good that could come of it including building jobs and skills.

That compares  to $1400 being spent appropriately by some, to help with bills and their family, but by others at the liquor store, gambling and to get the latest phone. I don't mean to be judgemental or cynical but sales in those areas went up alot after handouts in Australia. Better that than more tax cuts for the rich or wealthier defence contractors I suppose.  

All spending that boosts the economy.

 

Infrastructure investment is on its way, President Biden and the Democrats simply chose to put ordinary Americans first.

 

 

[Tug]

What a difference an election makes help for the folks that pay the taxes not corporate welfare as under trump in my state folks 55 and up are now able to get vaccinated things are starting to improve.meanwhile the republicans controlled by trump are inguaged in determining the gender of a child’s toy (mr potato head)railing against up dating the dr Seuss children’s books and other weighty matters just unbelievable lol thanks and kudos to the Biden administration 

[frantick]

2 hours ago, Tug said:

What a difference an election makes help for the folks that pay the taxes not corporate welfare as under trump in my state folks 55 and up are now able to get vaccinated things are starting to improve.meanwhile the republicans controlled by trump are inguaged in determining the gender of a child’s toy (mr potato head)railing against up dating the dr Seuss children’s books and other weighty matters just unbelievable lol thanks and kudos to the Biden administration 

Or, from another perspective, the previous administration spear-headed fast vaccine development, provided more stimulus for more Americans, was pro science in believing men and women are biologically different, and was against book burning.

[Chomper Higgot]

51 minutes ago, frantick said:

Or, from another perspective, the previous administration spear-headed fast vaccine development, provided more stimulus for more Americans, was pro science in believing men and women are biologically different, and was against book burning.

Righty-o.

 

Have a read of this and see how far you can get without upsetting your world:

 

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/

[Emdog]

"Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, however, had harsh words about the measure. "The Senate has never spent $2 trillion in a more haphazard way or through a less rigorous process," he said."

Uh, there was that almost identical size tax cut for wealthy and corporations passed under your watch... last minute additions to that written in the margins... this will go to average Americans and will be a large stimulus as they need the money and need to spend it, unlike your tax cut, which led corporations to often buy back their own stock (No job creation) and 1/4 of it went outside the USA.

 

[bronzedude]

Is it any surprise that all republicans and trump supports can do is whine, whine, whine. The loser administration did next to nothing for the American people. Oh, and it was the vaccine corporations that sped up vaccine production. The loser administration was the problem, not the solution. If republicans are upset with the stimulus package then please, those of you that receive stimulus checks, give them back. That would save billions of dollars. Also, don't get vaccinated. That would cull those 70 million losers. 

[Sujo]

6 hours ago, frantick said:

Or, from another perspective, the previous administration spear-headed fast vaccine development, provided more stimulus for more Americans, was pro science in believing men and women are biologically different, and was against book burning.

Does this admin not want the same?

 

A really big perspective. You lost.

Edited March 7, 2021 by Sujo

[placeholder]

6 hours ago, frantick said:

Or, from another perspective, the previous administration spear-headed fast vaccine development, provided more stimulus for more Americans, was pro science in believing men and women are biologically different, and was against book burning.

Please, it's arguable that even one of the vaccines were in any sense spearheaded by the Trump administration. Most were definitely not.

Actually, if the Democrats had behaved, as the Republicans did under Obama and Biden, there would have been no aid forthcoming to any Americans during the Trump administration. Without their cooperation, the economy would have collapsed. It was the Democrats who pushed for more aid to working people. The republicans did their best to turn relief into a gravy train for the wealthy including a special bill that only benefited super wealthy real estate investors and cost about 90 billion in tax revenue.

What on earth are you referring to  "believing men and women are biologically different'? is somehow a controversial opinion? The Trump administration's stance on ACG was bad enough, but Trump actually signed an executive order that disallowed evidence based on confidential medical records to be used in scientific evaluations of various substances.

Who supports book burning? We do know that the Trump administration attempted to stop the publication of several books including one about Melania Trump by a former aide. Because her BE BEST campaign contained highly classified information?

 And, of course, Trump made everybody working as government employees appointed by him sign non-disclosure agreements, a blatantly coercive and legally invalid attempt at muzzling speech.

 

[Tug]

16 hours ago, frantick said:

Or, from another perspective, the previous administration spear-headed fast vaccine development, provided more stimulus for more Americans, was pro science in believing men and women are biologically different, and was against book burning.

The facts don’t bear you out the truth be told donald John trump is largely responsible for the deaths of over 500,000 Americans that sir is more dead than all wars combined from 1900 till now most folks see that he is also destroying the once proud Republican Party 

[Thingamabob]

7 hours ago, Tug said:

The facts don’t bear you out the truth be told donald John trump is largely responsible for the deaths of over 500,000 Americans that sir is more dead than all wars combined from 1900 till now most folks see that he is also destroying the once proud Republican Party 

Total rubbish. Many countries have, sadly, proportionately the same amount of alleged covid deaths. Are all their presidents/prime minister's to be held entirely responsible for those deaths ?  

[FritsSikkink]

8 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Total rubbish. Many countries have, sadly, proportionately the same amount of alleged covid deaths. Are all their presidents/prime minister's to be held entirely responsible for those deaths ?  

Total rubbish. The USA has the more infections and deaths than most countries.

[Thingamabob]

On 3/7/2021 at 10:02 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

All spending that boosts the economy.

 

Infrastructure investment is on its way, President Biden and the Democrats simply chose to put ordinary Americans first.

 

 

Nonsense. Biden should have immediately launched an infrastructure programme. This is merely political window dressing.

[placeholder]

51 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Nonsense. Biden should have immediately launched an infrastructure programme. This is merely political window dressing.

Nonsense back at you. Infrastructure projects take a lot of planning before they are launched. Now if Trump had only half-kept his promise for a trillion dollar infrastructure program and had some infrastructure works planned already, your observation might make some sense.

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Nonsense. Biden should have immediately launched an infrastructure programme. This is merely political window dressing.

Me think you had bad experiences with the former President making promises and never delivered. Embrace the new change for a President that now delivered on his words. 

[ShindenGo]

This is what REAL LEADERSHIP looks like. In only one month we are finally helping the people who need it most! This is how we take back America from the terrorists in the hallowed halls of congress

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Nonsense. Biden should have immediately launched an infrastructure programme. This is merely political window dressing.

Do you remember trumps infrastructure week?

[Thingamabob]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Total rubbish. The USA has the more infections and deaths than most countries.

Do you understand the word PROPORTIONATELY ? 

[ShindenGo]

10 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Do you remember trumps infrastructure week?

Seriously well pass infrastructure next. Even if legislation was passed roads won’t improve tomorrow unlike stimulus checks

 

Republicans are only good for enriching themselves, their allies and special interest groups. Leave it to Joe and Nancy to save America once again

[ShindenGo]

On 3/8/2021 at 3:00 PM, Thingamabob said:

Do you understand the word PROPORTIONATELY ? 

You can’t compare countries using proportionately. That’s like saying a small country of 10 is worse than the US because 8 are infected. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by onthedarkside
trolling comment removed

[placeholder]

3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Total rubbish. Many countries have, sadly, proportionately the same amount of alleged covid deaths. Are all their presidents/prime minister's to be held entirely responsible for those deaths ?  

Actually, the US ranks 7th in deaths per million

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/

But the average age in all of those countried with a higher death rate also have an older population.

https://www.worlddata.info/average-age.php

Also, they are considerably more densely populated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density

What's more, before Covid hit, the USA was judged to have the best preparedness for a pandemic. What health experts didn't count on was...

Two decades of pandemic war games failed to account for Donald Trump
The scenarios foresaw leaky travel bans, a scramble for vaccines and disputes between state and federal leaders, but none could anticipate the current levels of dysfunction in the United States.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02277-6

[curlylekan]

I'm very scared as an American that my money will be worth very little, very soon. I need to find a new way to invest my money or keep it in another currency perhaps. I'm not kidding, so many stimulus packages passed so quickly within the past 2 years, major inflation is coming and is scary

[FritsSikkink]

On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2021 at 3:00 PM, Thingamabob said:

Do you understand the word PROPORTIONATELY ? 

Yes, you obviously don't as the USA has 1/3 of the world infections while having 1/20 of the population

[Chomper Higgot]

On 3/8/2021 at 5:12 PM, curlylekan said:

I'm very scared as an American that my money will be worth very little, very soon. I need to find a new way to invest my money or keep it in another currency perhaps. I'm not kidding, so many stimulus packages passed so quickly within the past 2 years, major inflation is coming and is scary

Major inflation already came, Trump’s hand out to the hyper wealthy and American corporations resulted in an inflated  stock prices.

I don’t recall you complaining.

[candide]

As mentioned several times, the hypothesis that covid deaths are overestimated doesn't hold. The number of excess deaths is well over the number of Covid deaths. In the FT article, the latest number of excess death reported is 467,897 as of 16 January. At this time the official member of Covid 19 deaths was only 392,361, so the number of Covid death is likely underestimated.

https://www.ft.com/content/a2901ce8-5eb7-4633-b89c-cbdf5b386938

Edited March 12, 2021 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed