In the early morning hours on Capitol Hill, we saw evidence of why elections matter, and especially why Georgia mattered. With a Senate locked 50-50 on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote (watch above).
And with Vice President @KamalaHarris casting the crucial tie-breaking vote, at 5:30am after 14 hours of debate, the Senate has passed a $1.9 trillion budget for COVID relief. Georgia voters made this possible.
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) February 5, 2021
In the marathon session — known as a vote-a-rama and for which more than 800 amendments were drafted — Senate Democrats maneuvered through a series of politically tricky amendments that Republicans wanted to attach to a coronavirus relief package as lawmakers pressed forward with a budget plan that includes Mr. Biden’s economic aid proposal.
The resolution will go to the House, where Democrats do not require Republican support to approve it.
Today, with the passage of this budget resolution to provide relief to our working families, we have the opportunity not only to address the pandemic and the economic collapse—we have the opportunity to give hope to the American people and restore faith in our government. pic.twitter.com/AKEp63Ofyt
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 5, 2021
There is still a ways to go before the pandemic relief package is complete. The Washington Post writes:
With the budget resolution complete, Congress can turn in earnest to writing Biden’s expansive pandemic relief proposal into law — and push it through the Senate, without Republican votes if necessary, under the special rules unlocked by the budget legislation. That process will take weeks, with Democrats eyeing mid-March as the deadline for final passage of the relief legislation because that is when enhanced unemployment benefits will expire if Congress doesn’t act first.
The Senate passed the budget resolution to quickly deliver more emergency COVID relief.
Our caucus worked together in unity to respond boldly to this crisis, and we are grateful President Biden put together the American Rescue Plan.
We will keep working hard to make it law.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 5, 2021