House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is taking part in a news conference on the third day of the Senate’s indictment against former US President Donald Trump in Washington, USA, February 11, 2021.
Erin Scott | Reuters
Several House committees have approved parts of the Democrats’ $ 1.9 billion coronavirus assistance plan as the chamber passes the full package by the end of the month.
The Ways and Means Committee unveiled a critical piece of legislation on Thursday night. That would send $ 1,400 direct payments to most Americans, extend major unemployment programs until the end of August, and give families up to $ 3,600 a year per child.
Other House panels, including the committees for education and labor, financial services, transport and small businesses, passed on their pieces of the proposal. Under the difficult budget reconciliation process Democrats are using to pass legislation without Republican votes, the House Budget Committee will merge the separate bills into one package.
House President Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday that she thinks the House will approve the rescue proposal before the end of the month. The California Democrat expects the bill to come through the Senate and across President Joe Biden’s desk before lifelines for unemployed Americans expire on March 14.
Democrats have said they need to act as soon as possible to inject more money into curbing the virus, speeding up vaccinations and speeding up Americans struggling to pay for food and housing. With united but narrow control over Congress and the White House, it appears they must pass a bill on their own, rather than take weeks or months to negotiate a smaller package with the IDP.
Republicans have expressed concern over the approval of another massive bill after lawmakers approved a $ 900 billion aid plan in December. A group of GOP senators met with Biden earlier this month and put forward a $ 600 billion counter-offer, but Democrats rejected the plan as too small to tackle the crisis.
Congress has been waiting months to pass the December aid package after major unemployment benefits and small business programs expired last summer. The act has contributed to millions of Americans falling into poverty, struggling to afford food and lacking rent payments.
The latest government data shows more than 20 million people receive unemployment benefits.
Democrats still have to navigate hurdles to get the bill on their own through Congress. Not only must they make the bill comply with Senate budget rules, but they also cannot lose a single Democratic vote in the chamber that is evenly divided by party.
The Ways and Means Committee section of the House Plan that was advanced on Thursday contains a large portion of the overall rescue proposal. It will earn $ 1400 to individuals up to $ 75,000 and couples earning up to $ 150,000.
To raise concerns about the effective target of the money – which jeopardizes the plan’s passage in the Senate – would gradually phase out payments so that no individual or couple earning more than $ 100,000 or $ 200,000 respectively would receive a check. do not get. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said Thursday that the structure is ‘right in the ballpark’ of what his caucus would support.
The bill as approved by Ways and Means raises the current federal unemployment supplement from $ 300 a week to $ 400, and extends it until August 29. It also keeps in mind programs that extend the benefits and the number of weeks for which people can receive unemployment insurance by the same date.
The plan will also help households with children. Americans would receive up to $ 3,600 per child for children under 6, and $ 3,000 per child for children under 18.
The relief would result in $ 75,000 in income for individuals and $ 150,000 for couples.
Among the key provisions in other parts of the legislation would be putting $ 20 billion into a national vaccination program, $ 170 billion in spending on schools, including reopening costs, and $ 350 billion in relief for state, local and tribal governments. Biden plans to meet with bilingual governors and mayors on Friday to discuss the rescue package.
Democrats have also demanded a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour, and Pelosi expects the House to pass the provision in final legislation. However, it is unclear whether the proposal will comply with the Senate budget rules.
Two Democratic senators – Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Cinema of Arizona – have also expressed doubts about passing a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour.
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