Senate passes $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill, including $1,400 stimulus checks, with no Republican support
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Saturday, capping off a marathon overnight session after Democrats resolved internal clashes that threatened to derail President Joe Biden’s top legislative priority.The far-reaching legislation includes $1,400 stimulus checks, $300-per-week jobless benefits through the summer, a child allowance of up to $3,600 for one year, $350 billion for state aid, $34 billion to expand Affordable Care Act subsidies and $14 billion for vaccine distribution.The final vote was 50-49 along party lines, with every Republican voting “no.” It came after Democrats voted down a swath of Republican amendments on repeated votes of 50-49 to avoid disrupting the delicate agreement between progressive and moderate senators.Before it can be signed by Biden, the legislation will have to be passed again by the House because the Senate made changes to its version, which Democrats approved along party lines last Saturday.Biden called the aid package “urgently needed” and praised the Senate for passing it Saturday, saying it will get “checks out the door” to Americans “this month.””The resources in this plan will be used to speed up manufacturing and distribution of the vaccines, so that we can get every American vaccinated sooner rather than later,”
