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- House Democrats approved the package in a vote of 219-212.
- The House vote sends the legislation to the Senate.
- Senate Democrats may clash on a minimum wage hike.
- Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories .
House Democrats approved President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion emergency spending package in a near-party line vote early on Saturday morning, advancing far-reaching legislation aimed at distributing federal dollars to struggling families, businesses, and other parts of the American economy.
The stimulus plan cleared the chamber in a 219-212 vote shortly after 2am on Saturday with Republicans unified in their resistance. Two Democrats broke from their party to join Republicans opposing the colossal relief legislation – Reps. Kurt Schraeder of Oregon and Jared Golden of Maine.
The relief package includes $1,400 stimulus checks for taxpayers, $400 in federal unemployment benefits, aid to state and local governments, and vaccine funds.
Senate Democrats will take up the legislation next week, and they’re rushing to enact it before the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance in mid-March. But they face difficult decisions that could spark some clashes.
Democrats say the relief bill will form a critical pillar in the nation’s fight against the pandemic and the economic malaise it has caused. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “the time for decisive action is now.”
“Each day, this pandemic reaches into our communities, devastating families’ health, financial security and well-being,” she said during a floor speech. “We are moved to act swiftly to put an end to this pandemic and to stem the suffering felt by so many.”
But Republicans lambasted the proposal, arguing many of its provisions are unrelated to the pandemic. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy of Texas said from the House floor that the bill’s price tag was too large and filled with progressive items.
“The Democrats’ spending bill is too costly, too corrupt, and too liberal for the country,” the California Republican said.
The House bill includes a $15 minimum wage, but the Senate parliamentarian ordered it struck from the plan on Thursday evening. The recommendation meant the provision, a key progressive priority, violates the strict reconciliation guidelines under which Democrats are seeking to pass the bill with 51 votes in the Senate.
Senior Democrats, including Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, are coalescing behind a backup plan along with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Their proposal would levy a tax penalty on large businesses who don’t pay workers at least $15 an hour.
Small businesses would be provided tax credits equivalent of up to 25% of their payrolls if they lifted workers’ wages. Some business groups like the Chamber of Commerce say they oppose the measure.
“Enough political games,” Neal Bradley, chief policy officer at the Chamber of Commerce, tweeted on Friday . “The business community believes a deal can be reached on a fair min wage increase. R and D members saying the same. It is time for Sen. Sanders & others to focus on a reasonable compromise.”
Some progressives in the House urged Democrats to deliver on campaign promises of a wage hike.
“I don’t think we can go back to voters and say, ‘Look, I know Republicans, Democrats, independents support this, we promised it, but because of an unelected parliamentarian who gave us a ruling, we couldn’t do it,'” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters. “Nobody is going to buy that.”