There are different proposals for extending these benefits. That’s the date by which Democrats have said they must have the Covid relief bill passed into law. Current expanded unemployment benefits run out March 14. Is there a deadline for this thing to pass? Work on the plan so far has made clear not just that most Republicans have little appetite for cooperating with the Democrats who are now in charge, but also that Democrats – whose control of Senate rests with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote – aren’t totally unified among themselves.Ĭontinue below to find out what we know right now about where the bill is at and where it’s going.Ī full breakdown of what’s in the bill passed in the House is here.Ī guide to what you can expect to get from the current version of the bill is here.Įverything you need to know about the complicated procedure Democrats will have to use to push this through the Senate, which is split 50-50, is here. Democrats are split over whether to include the minimum wage hike, which is a top priority of progressives but opposed by moderates in the party.īut getting the package – packages, really, since there will be different versions between the House, Senate and White House that must be reconciled – passed into law will test Biden’s calls for unity. Republicans say it’s too big and want something smaller, or that Congress should wait to see how the Covid pandemic progresses before deciding to send additional aid. The House version also currently includes a federal minimum wage increase to $15 – though that provision will not make it into the Senate version after the parliamentarian determined it could not be passed by a simple majority, under Senate rules. The new bill would touch everything from direct stimulus payments and extending unemployment insurance to propping up the airline industry, giving new money for vaccines and helping troubled school districts. The latest package will run to about $1.9 trillion on top of about $4 trillion already approved under former President Donald Trump.
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