- The Senate approved a budget measure on Friday that paves the way for President Biden’s stimulus bill.
- The vote was split along party lines, with Vice President Kamala Harris tossing the tiebreaker.
- The resolution means that Biden can pass the incentive bill without GOP support.
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The US Senate passed a budget resolution early Friday morning paving the way for Congress to pass President Joe Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion stimulus bill.
The vote was split along party lines, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the casting vote to pass the resolution, 51 votes to 50 at around 5:35 am.
It was Harris’ first final vote in the Senate since her election as vice president, with the Senate evenly split between Democratic and Republican senators.
The resolution allows Democrats to pass Biden’s incentive law without GOP support.
The tool allows Democrats to pass the stimulus bill with a simple majority vote, bypassing potential GOP blocking tactics that would otherwise require a two-thirds Senate majority to override.
The resolution was passed as part of an overnight marathon of amendments known as a “vote-a-rama”.
It will now be sent to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives for ratification.
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The process by lawmakers and government officials to draft Biden’s bill can now begin in earnest. Biden is still seeking bipartisan support for a stimulus bill.
Any measures and compromises agreed upon with GOP senators as part of the negotiations can still be built into the stimulus bill, which can then be passed with Republican backing, meaning Democrats would not need the resolution tool approved on Friday to have.
The size of instant payment checks is one of the problems dividing Republicans and Democrats, with Biden pushing for $ 1,400 checks and Republicans wanting $ 1,000 checks.
Democrats aim to push the stimulus bill through March 14, when special unemployment benefits expire, unless Congress decides to extend them.