Senate OKs $1.9 trillion plan, nears final passage

WASHINGTON — The US Senate on Saturday voted to approve a $1.9 trillion relief package in what President Joe Biden called a “giant step” toward reviving the pandemic-stricken economy, capping frenzied negotiations and a marathon overnight voting session.

Passed by 50 votes to 49 in a party line vote, the sweeping legislation now heads back to the Democratic-majority House of Representatives, where it is expected to be adopted, barring a last-minute setback.

“I promised the American people help was on the way,” said Biden in an address from the White House after the plan was approved.

“Today, I can say we’ve taken one more giant step forward in delivering on that promise,” he said. “It obviously wasn’t easy. It wasn’t always pretty. But it was so desperately needed.”

Even without the progressive priority of a minimum-wage increase to $15 an hour, the stimulus bill marks a victory for Democrats as they put their stamp on the recovery from a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 people in the United States and hobbled its economy.

The huge bill, the second largest rescue package in US history after last year’s $2 trillion CARES Act, almost fell apart.

Senate action was paralyzed for more than 10 hours on Friday as Democrats scrambled to retain the support of their most conservative senator, Joe Manchin, who balked at the scale of jobless benefits.

It took a call from Biden and a cut in supplemental weekly unemployment insurance from $400 to $300, among other tweaks, to prevent Manchin from defecting.

The drama served to highlight the growing political muscle of moderates in a deadlocked Senate, where a single swing vote could make or break major legislation

Biden already had to compromise with Democrats urging more fiscal restraint, reportedly agreeing to a narrowing of the income limit for families receiving stimulus checks.

But the president struck an upbeat note, insisting: “I don’t think any of the compromises have in any way fundamentally altered the essence of what I put in the bill in the first place.”

“This plan is historic,” Biden said. “This plan will get checks out the door starting this month to the American people who so desperately need the help.”

The legislation would send out $1,400 stimulus checks to most US citizens and allocates $350 billion to state and local governments and $130 billion to schools.

Steny Hoyer, the Democratic majority leader in the House, said the chamber would take up the amended bill on Tuesday, with a view to sending it to Biden for his signature early next week.

Today, I can say we’ve taken one more giant step forward in delivering on that promise. It obviously wasn’t easy. It wasn’t always pretty. But it was so desperately needed.”

Joe Biden, US president