WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd February, 2021) President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill has won the backing of the US House Budget Committee, The Hill reported on Monday ahead of a full vote expected to be taken by the full House of Representatives later this week.
Biden's relief package for the pandemic bill, dubbed "American Rescue Plan," won the backing of the Budget Committee in a 19-16 party-line vote with Democrats supporting the US president's initiative, the report said.
"I just voted to advance the American Rescue Plan through House Budget Dems, bringing us one step closer to delivering urgent relief, including: $1,400 checks, funding for vaccines, aid to families and small biz, support to help schools safely reopen," Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat on the Budget Committee, said via Twitter.
Biden has made the passing of the $1.9 trillion bill a priority ever since assuming office on January 20. The initiative comes after two COVID-19 relief packages totaling $4 trillion passed under his predecessor Donald Trump last year.
While Democrats backing the president are expected to pass the bill later this week in the House of Representatives, Biden may face problems getting the stimulus through the Senate, where his party has effectively a one-vote majority against Republicans. The president has vowed to get the bill signed into law before a slew of emergency unemployment benefits expire on March 14.
Senate Republican leader Mitch Mcconnell said that the bill "is stuffed with non-COVID-related liberal goals and more band-aid policies as if the country were going to stay shut down another year."
