After a marathon overnight session and lots of political maneuvering, the U.S. Senate on Saturday passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan in a party-line vote.
What Happened: The Senate voted 50-49, with no Republicans' support. Republicans had called for a smaller package over concerns that the amount of stimulus will stoke inflation.
Now the legislation includes:
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$1,400 stimulus checks
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$300-per-week jobless benefits through the summer
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$3,600 child allowance for one year
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$350 billion for state aid
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$34 billion to expand Affordable Care Act subsidies
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$14 billion for vaccine distribution
The bill is expected to be passed by the House and signed by Biden before unemployment benefits expire on March 14. The bill featured a measure to more than double the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which the Senate also rejected.
The bill had set the supplemental jobless benefit at $400 a week, but Senate Democrats finally agreed to bring that down to $300 per week.
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