The Senate voted 58-42 on Friday night to reject Senator Bernie Sanders’ attempt to add a $ 15 minimum wage to President Biden’s $ 1.9 million COVID-19 emergency relief bill, and is now ready to until well into Saturday in an all-night marathon of cabling over the massive mate.
The so-called “vote-a-rama” – during which senators can present and debate unlimited amendments – comes over the objections of Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who late Friday declared the Democratic foot-dragging to the vote until Saturday at 10: 00 to postpone. .
“They want to start with the mood-a-rama that could be done in daylight because of their own confusion and the challenges of getting 50 people together to agree on something,” McConnell determined to ask for the postponement.
He referred to a twelve-hour log jam from earlier Friday, during which Democrats struggled to unite the 50 members of their caucus, a cul-de-sac that finally ended just before 11 p.m., with a last-minute compromise with centrist Democratic senator Joe Manchin on no-frills unemployment benefits.
“Now that this agreement has been reached, we are going to come to power through the rest of the process and do this bill,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) promised.
Democrats, who closely control the Senate, postponed plans to begin amending votes early Friday afternoon after Manchin (DW.Va.) sided with Republicans and demanded that the unemployment benefits be cut.
The specific logjam was broken after nine hours, with a compromise that would offer weekly benefits from $ 300 through Sept. 6, along with a tax break on the benefits.
A federal unemployment supplement approved in December – at $ 300 a week – expires this month.
The home-based version of Biden’s bill had a broader weekly unemployment supplement of $ 400 through August.
The negotiations at the last minute were the first major power play by Manchin, which could single-handedly derail Biden’s legislative agenda in the evenly divided Senate.
Biden took less than 30 percent of the vote in West Virginia, giving Manchin no necessity to get in line.
The evening’s compromise – and the vote on the minimum wage increase – paves the way for the marathon series of votes on the comprehensive relief package, with the prediction of voting until Saturday.
In addition to the $ 300 boost in weekly unemployment benefits, the Senate COVID-19 bill offers the following:
• A $ 1,400 per person benefit, including children, for individuals earning less than $ 75,000 per year, or married couples earning less than $ 150,000 per year.
• A total of $ 350 billion in aid to municipalities, states and the District of Columbia.
• An extension of the current increase of 15 percent in food benefits to September.
• About $ 20 billion in housing assistance to state and local governments.
• Nearly $ 130 billion for K-12 schools to help children return to their classrooms.
• $ 15 billion for small businesses through the emergency lending program.
• $ 75 billion for vaccinations, testing and other pandemic medical supplies.
• An annual tax credit of $ 3,600 per child under 6 years and $ 3,000 per child up to 17 years.
The budget reconciliation rules allow a simple majority for legislation to pass the equally divided Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris breaks ties in favor of Democrats.
The Senate version of the bill has already undergone major changes.
Biden reported a stronger phasing out of $ 1,400 stimulus checks this week, meaning people earning more than $ 80,000 a year will not see a penny, down from a $ 100,000 cap in the House version.
The Senate lawmaker has removed key provisions that Republicans and some centrist Democrats oppose, including $ 140 million for a rail project near the California district in the home of Nancy Pelosi.
Republicans largely say the bill is unnecessary and wasteful, emphasizing that many of the funds will only be spent before the pandemic is over.
The bill, for example, contains $ 129 billion for K-12 schools, but the Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 95 percent will not be spent in 2021 because funds approved for schools last year have not been spent.
For parents, the annual tax credit of $ 3600 per child under the age of 6 and $ 3000 per child up to the age of 17 is granted.
These funds are also being phased out for earners over $ 75,000 or joint filers above $ 150,000.
A family of four earning less than $ 150,000 could pay more than $ 14,000 out of the account, according to an analysis by CNBC.extra.