In a move that furthered a leading focus for President Joe Biden in the direction of a complete House vote, the budget committee of the U.S. House green-lighted legislation with $1.9 trillion in further pandemic aid. The effort moved through the panel on a 19 to 16 vote, which adhered mostly to party lines, Reuters reported.
“We are in a race against time. Aggressive, bold action is needed before our nation is more deeply and permanently scarred by the human and economic costs of inaction,” Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), who chairs the budget committee, said prior to the Monday (Feb. 22) vote, per Reuters.
Biden and members of his party aim to expediently ratify the plan to accelerate a new wave of payments straight to households in the United States, while lengthening federal joblessness benefits and help non-federal governments.
The Democrats are harnessing reconciliation, a procedural move, to further the legislation. That would let them ratify the legislation in the Senate sans Republican support.
“Further aid needs to be smartly targeted so government doesn’t get in the way. But Democrats want to double-down on band-aid policies like they’re planning for another year of stagnation instead of trying to set up success,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, as reported by Reuters.
The news comes on the heels of the U.S. Senate providing the go-ahead for Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Feb. 5. Vice President Kamala Harris made the tie-breaking vote.
Up to this point, Americans have gotten two stimulus checks. One of those checks was for $1,200 in the spring of last year, while an additional check came for $600 in the early days of this year.
The second check was controversial and made the unique situation in which then President Donald Trump and then President-elect Joe Biden publicly contended that it should have been for more, namely $2,000.
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