Senate Democrats’ Budget Clears Way For Biden’s COVID Relief Package

WASHINGTON —  Senate Democrats can move ahead with a coronavirus relief package without support from Republicans.

Democrats passed a budget resolution early this morning on a 50-50 party-line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.

The budget essentially authorizes President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package.

Passage followed hours of voting on amendments in an exhausting ritual known as a “vote-a-rama,” when senators can theoretically offer as many amendments to the budget resolution as they desire. Those amendments largely serve as a way for each party to force the other side on the record about controversial issues, and most of the GOP amendments were defeated.

US Senators Todd Young of Indiana and Tom Cotton of Arkansas want to be sure no payments go to illegal immigrants. The Senate did approve their amendment to prohibit any such payments from the new stimulus bill.

It would have no impact on “mixed-status” families–those with at least one member who has a Social Security number. They would still get the payments. It would only “ensure that Democrats do not loosen the existing eligibility requirements” in any new round of payments, said Young.

Another GOP amendment passed also gets rid of a provision raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour.

The House already passed the budget measure earlier in the week. But because it was amended in the Senate it will need to go back to the House for a final vote, possibly Friday.

Republicans are unhappy Democrats are resorting to the aggressive tactic, though, arguing it will set a partisan tone for the rest of Biden’s presidency and that he’s not operating as the political unifier he pledged to be.