Senate moves forward with Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package

After being passed from the US House, President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus pandemic relief bill had to go through a few changes imposed by the Senate Democrats. Biden and Senate Democrats have agreed to tighten the eligibility for the $1,400 payments. Also, under the House bill, the cash payment would phase out for singles with incomes between $75,000 and $100,000. However, under the Senate bill, the phaseout stops at $80,000.

Few changes made

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the minimum wage increase violated strict budget rules. This limited what all could be included in a package that can be passed with 51 votes rather than 60. The Senate bill does not include an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. 

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Also, the Senate bill provides $350 billion for state and local governments, however, it adds the stipulation that the money can only cover costs incurred by the end of 2024. The bill also adds an amount of $8.5 billion for rural providers for COVID-19 relief. Further, the House bill extended the federal unemployment benefits until August 29 and has also increased that aid to $400 a week.

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After the Senate parliament ruled that the bill could not include a $15 pay floor under reconciliation rules, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Ron Wyden, and Bernie Sanders, looked for a workaround to impose a tax penalty on large corporations that do not pay workers at least $15 an hour. It is unclear if the proposal would comply with the Senate’s budget restrictions. Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said that she believes the House will  “absolutely” pass the relief bill if it comes back from the Senate without a minimum-wage increase in it. She told reporters that Democrats will try to pass the pay increase through a separate plan if needed. “We will not rest until we pass the $15 minimum wage,” she said.

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