The Senate amended President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill to include a $300 weekly federal unemployment benefit through August.
Senate Finance Chair, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced the amendment, which passed early Saturday Morning 50-49.
The change is an adjustment to the legislation passed in the House, which sought to increase the benefits to $400 a week.
The Senate also passed a Republican proposal to the unemployment benefit Saturday morning. Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman’s amendment would have extended the $300 benefit through mid-July – a tweak anathema to progressives, who had pushed for more generous unemployment benefits. That also passed 50-49, and was superseded by the amendment agreed to by Democrats.
– Savannah Behrmann
McConnell fails to adjourn Senate after vote-a-rama delay
The Senate will continue to consider changes to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 stimulus bill after Republicans failed to force the chamber to end Friday’s proceedings and pick up Saturday.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell put forth a motion to adjourn the Senate to until 10 a.m. Saturday morning. But the effort failed shortly before midnight, meaning the Senate will continue voting on amendments to the $1.9 trillion measure.
The amendments process was delayed for nearly 12 hours Friday because Senate Democrats negotiated changes to an extension of unemployment benefits.
Speaking on the Senate floor Friday night, McConnell said, “Well my goodness it’s been quite a start, quite a start to this fast-track process.”
“What this proves is there are benefits to bipartisanship when you’re dealing with an issue of this magnitude,” he continued.
– Savannah Behrmann
Group of Senate Democrats, Republicans vote to keep $15 minimum wage out of stimulus bill
A group of Democratic senators joined all Senate Republicans in voting against Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour on Friday.
The Vermont independent tried to add the provision to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 stimulus bill as the Senate considered the $1.9 trillion measure. But the effort failed in a 58-42 vote with eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus voting against it.
The vote started at 11:03 a.m. EST and didn’t officially end for nearly 12 hours as Democrats and Republicans negotiated changes to an extension of unemployment benefits.
The outcome of the vote could spell trouble for future Democratic attempts to raise the minimum wage, something Biden included in his initial stimulus proposal that passed the House last week.
The eight Democratic caucus members who voted against the measure are:
- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.
- Sen. Angus King, D-Maine (King caucuses with Democrats)
- Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.
- Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
Sanders, in a statement, said this was not the last time he would try to bring up the wage hike for a vote.
“If any senator believes this is the last time they will cast a vote on whether or not to give a raise to 32 million Americans, they are sorely mistaken. We’re going to keep bringing it up, and we’re going to get it done because it is what the American people demand and need,” he said.
– Nicholas Wu
Senate presses forward on stimulus bill after hours-long impasse over unemployment benefits
The Senate is poised to press forward on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., said he would support a compromise deal to extend a weekly $300 unemployment benefit, breaking an hours-long impasse over attempts to change the provision.
For about nine hours, senators negotiated over proposed changes to the massive package’s unemployment benefits. Much of the impasse focused on Manchin, a moderate Democrat who expressed interest in plans from Republicans and Democrats.
The compromise agreement extends the…
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