Senate votes to open debate on $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill
The Senate voted Thursday to open debate on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, as Democrats moved forward with no GOP support after failing to win over a single Republican senator on the new president’s first major legislative initiative.
The vote was 51 to 50, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the 50to-50 tie. GOP unity against the procedural motion suggested that no Republican will vote for the legislation on final passage, which will come after hours of debate and an amendment free-for-all that could drag into the weekend.
Once it passes the Senate, the legislation will have to go back to the House for final approval before being sent to Biden’s desk for his signature. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has guaranteed the House will pass the Senate’s version of the bill, despite some changes that liberals dislike, including narrowing eligibility for $1,400 relief checks and excluding a $15 minimum wage.
Democrats had been holding out hope that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, would vote with them, but she did not, despite a handful of last-minute changes that could benefit her state. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had made clear he wanted Republican senators to stay unified against the legislation, and they did.
However, Murkowski told reporters later that she was still examining the final version of the legislation, which was unveiled just moments before Thursday’s vote and could change further during the amendment process.
“I’m going to look and see what’s in it. We already know some of the things that have been pointed out that are clearly not covidrelated,” Murkowski said. “But I’m looking at some of the things that will provide a level of relief for a state like Alaska.”
The vote Thursday came after the last-minute negotiations appeared to succeed in locking down support from wavering moderate Democrats — even if no Republicans were immediately convinced. In addition to limiting the relief checks, the legislation includes new limits on a $350 billion pot of state and local aid, setting aside $10 billion of it for infrastructure needs that could include broadband, and including a rule barring cities and states from using any new federal money to pay down pension costs or offset new attempts to cut taxes.
It also includes new provisions to ensure that smaller-population states, like Alaska, would receive adequate funding, and directs increased funding to tourism and outdoor-recreation industries.
Republicans railed against the legislation, saying it was replete with excess spending that was unrelated to the coronavirus and unnecessary after Congress already devoted some $4 trillion last year to fighting the pandemic.
“Calling this a coronavirus bill is like calling Harvey Weinstein a feminist,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said.
A U.S. artillery defensive system protecting U.S. and coalition forces at an Iraqi air base that came under attack this week struck down three or four incoming rockets before they hit, a defense official told McClatchy on Thursday.
Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq is a large training and logistics hub for U.S.and coalition forces. It was targeted by approximately 10 short-range rockets on Wednesday, resulting in the death of one U.S. contractor who had a heart attack while sheltering from the attack.
Al-Asad’s Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (CRAM) missile defensive system “engaged” with the incoming rounds and early assessments indicate it hit three or four of the 122 mm rockets, the official said on condition of anonymity.
There were 10 known locations where the base was hit, the official said, and it was not clear if more than 10 rockets were fired, or if the rockets that were struck down by C-RAM were responsible for some of the ground damage.
The Defense Department has not said who is responsible for the attack, and Iraqi officials are still investigating it.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to identify who is responsible for the attacks and hold them responsible.
In the last several weeks attacks on Iraqi military bases housing U.S. and coalition troops, including a rocket attack in February at the U.S. military base in Erbil, that the Pentagon has attributed to Iranianbacked militias has spurred further U.S. military action.
Last week, two F-15E Air
Force fighter jets dropped seven precision-guided munitions on known militia sites in Syria.
Defense Department press secretary John Kirby on Wednesday said Iraqi security forces were taking the lead in investigating this latest al-Asad attack.
A year ago al-Asad was hit by a dozen short-range Iranian ballistic missiles that were fired by Iran in response to the targeted U.S. strike against Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike ordered by former President Donald Trump.