If the Democrats can not find a way to include the wage increase in the stimulus measure, the bill could lose support by progressives, although Ms. Pelosi said the House would pass the measure “absolutely” without the wage increase if necessary.
‘I do not 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 our verdict, we could not do it, ‘Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters. ‘There are a lot of good things in the package, but when it’s watered down, it’s a whole different matter. So we just have to see how it ends. ”
Democrats accepted the overall stimulus package as criticism of the economy. It will offer $ 1,400 direct payments to individuals earning up to $ 75,000 a year and couples earning up to $ 150,000, and extending a weekly federal unemployment benefit, increase it to $ 400 a week from $ 300 and extend it until the end of August. It will also increase the value of the child tax credit; provides more than $ 50 billion for vaccine distribution, testing and detection; and sends nearly $ 200 billion to primary and secondary schools and $ 350 billion to state, local and tribal governments.
Once the House is approved, the legislation will go to the Senate, where it is expected to be amended. It will then be sent back to the House for a final vote before going to the White House for the signing of Mr. Biden.
Republicans are expected to oppose the legislation with a few exceptions. They argued that the plan was too expensive and contained provisions unrelated to pandemic relief. And while members of their party used the reconciliation process twice in 2017 to push the Democratic opposition to their highest priorities – once to raise a $ 1.5 billion tax cut and once in a failed attempt to repeal affordable care law – they complain that the Democrats are cutting them out of drafting the stimulus measure.
“This is not a relief bill,” California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican leader, told a weekly news conference. “It cares about the Democrats’ political allies, while it does not care about American families.”
Like a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill, he wore a “No Pelosi Payout” sticker.
“We already know what the best stimulus plan is there: it is to fully reopen our economy,” he said. McCarthy said.