House poised to pass $1.9 trillion virus relief measure
WASHINGTON — A $1.9 trillion package aimed at helping the country rebuild from the pandemic appeared headed toward House passage Friday night, even as Democrats searched for a way to revive their derailed drive to boost the minimum wage.
A virtual partyline House vote was expected on the COVID-19 relief measure, which embodies President Biden’s push to provide cash to individuals, businesses, states and cities. The White House issued a statement reinforcing its support for the new president’s paramount initial goal.
“The bill would allow the administration to execute its plan to change the course of the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said. “And it would provide Americans and their communities an economic bridge through the crisis.”
Republicans have lined up against the plan, calling it an overpriced and wasteful attempt to help Democratic allies like labor unions and Democraticrun states.
The bill is “a partisan circus” designed to “quickly notch some wins for the president’s buddies,” said Rep. Jason Smith, RMo.
That’s making the fight a showdown over which party voters will reward for approving added federal spending to combat the coronavirus and revive the economy, on top of $4 trillion previously passed. The pandemic has killed a halfmillion Americans, thrown millions out of work and reconfigured the daily lives of nearly everyone from coast to coast.
The battle is also emerging as an early test of Biden’s ability to hold together his party’s fragile congressional majorities — with just a 10vote advantage in the House and an evenly divided 5050 Senate.
At the same time, Democrats were trying to figure out how to respond to Thursday night’s jarring setback in the Senate.
That chamber’s nonpartisan parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, said Senate rules require that a federal minimum wage increase would have to be dropped from the COVID-19 bill, leaving the proposal on life support. The measure would gradually lift that minimum to $15 hourly by 2025, doubling the current $7.25 floor in effect since 2009.
The House COVID-19 bill includes the minimum wage increase, so the real battle over its fate will occur when the Senate debates its version over the next two weeks.
The overall relief bill would provide $1,400 payments to individuals, extend emergency unemployment benefits through August, and increase tax credits for children and federal subsidies for health insurance coverage.
It also provides billions of dollars for schools and colleges, state and local governments, COVID-19 vaccines and testing, renters, food producers and struggling industries like airlines, restaurants, bars and live event venues.