After Senate, U.S. House of Representatives approves budget resolution setting stage for Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package
The United States House of Representatives on Friday approved a budget resolution that will be used to facilitate passage of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal.
The House voted 219-209, just hours after Vice President Kamala D. Harris broke the tie for the first time as the Senate voted 51-50 to advance the budget bill advancing Biden’s plan.
The final passage of the resolution in the Senate, at 5:34 a.m. on Friday, came after 15 hours of debate on amendments by senators.
All Democrats were united and voted for the budget resolution while no Republican voted for it.
Democrats will only need 51 votes in the Senate to approve the final bill via what is known as budget reconciliation, sidestepping the 60-vote threshold needed to approve a major legislation.
After approval in the Senate, the resolution went back to the House of Representatives for final approval. Now that it has been approved, committees will be allowed to begin writing the bill. They will iron
The Democrats now control the House of Representatives and Senate by a slim margins and there is no room for errors.
President Biden, who met with top Democrats at the White House on Friday, reminded them earlier this week that they will thrive or die together.
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.