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Covid relief bill back on track afer Senate impasse broken
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – The US Senate broke a logjam late
Friday when a centrist Democrat compromised on a key provision of the Covid
relief package, setting the $1.9 trillion bill on a likely path to passage.
Democrats had struggled to keep Senator Joe Manchin’s support for expanded
unemployment aid in the sprawling measure, and he threatened to side with
Republicans in the evenly divided chamber.
But the deal, which reduced the jobless benefits, kept Manchin on board and
allowed action to resume in the Senate as it navigates toward passage of
President Joe Biden’s top legislative priority sometime this weekend.
Manchin, keen on more fiscal restraint than was evident in the Biden
package, was flexing his political muscle, balking at an amendment that would
increase weekly additional unemployment benefits from $300 to $400, and
extending them through August.
It also provides for tax breaks of up to $10,200 for those receiving
unemployment, but only families making less than $150,000.
Without passage of the rescue package, the benefits will expire on March 14
for millions of Americans.
“We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly
while also protecting those receiving unemployment benefits from being hit
with (an) unexpected tax bill next year,” Manchin said in a statement.
Biden supports this compromise, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
“Most importantly, this agreement allows us to move forward on the urgently
needed American Rescue Plan, with $1,400 relief checks, funding we need to
finish the vaccine rollout, open our schools, help those suffering from the
pandemic, and more,” she said in a statement Friday evening.
With the impasse over, a lengthy amendment process known as a “vote-a-rama”
was set to resume, with votes on potentially dozens of amendments filed by
members of both parties.
The daunting process was likely to carry into the wee hours Saturday or
beyond, especially given Friday’s nine-hour delay.
“We are going to power through and finish this bill, however long it
takes,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at the start of Friday’s
marathon session.
Biden has heaped pressure on Democrats to clear the American Rescue Plan
through Congress in the coming days, and the Manchin hurdle marked potential
disaster.
Democrats are in control of a Senate that is deadlocked 50-50, so any
defections within the party could kill the bill.
In the event of a tie, Vice-President Kamala Harris casts the deciding
vote.
Republicans had offered their own jobless benefits alternative that they
say would save $128 billion by reducing the benefits to $300 and extending
them only to July.
West Virginia’s Manchin, the most conservative Senate Democrat, weighed the
dueling plans but eventually sided with his party’s compromise.
BSS/AFP/SSS/0900 hrs