By a 51-50 margin with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote, the Senate voted to bring the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package to the floor for debate, a major hurdle in getting the bill approved and signed by the March 14th goal, CNBC reports.
With all Democrats and Independents voting for the bill and all Republicans opposing it, the 628-page bill must now be read by Senate clerks into the record after Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson demanded the procedure in an effort to delay passage.
The bill, which has nearly 80% approval among the public according to polls, provides a $1,400 stimulus payments to Americans making less than $80,000 individually or $150,000 per couple. It extends unemployment supplemental payments and an eviction moratorium, which are scheduled to expire March 14th.
The bill also provides tens of billions in infrastructure funding to get Americans back to work, as well as funding for schools to help sanitize and prepare to reopen. The bill also assists with state and local governments which have seen tax revenues drop since the shutdowns caused by the pandemic.
Republicans plan on implementing a series of procedural delays to prevent the Administration from gaining what they view as a “political win,” regardless of how it will impact their constituency.