The Democrats plan to spend $1.9 trillion on coronavirus aid after rejecting a counter-offer made by Republican lawmakers, who suggested a $618 billion package to curb the crisis.
US legislators are pressing forward with their coronavirus relief bill, as President Joe Biden granted his approval for bypassing a Republican minority.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speak after US President Donald Trump agreed to a deal to end the partial government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 25, 2019
As the Democratic Party controls both chambers of the US Congress (resolving a 50-50 divide in the Senate by using Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker vote), they initiated a “joint budget resolution”, which allows the relief bill to be passed via a simple majority instead of the Senate’s traditional 60-vote threshold.
House Republicans have already criticised the massive package, saying the White House had decided to “ram through a partisan COVID-relief bill” and ignore millions of Americans after “weeks of calling for unity and bipartisanship”.
The Democrats’ bill stipulates $1,400 direct payment to most Americans, with an additional $500 in aid for adult dependents and children.
At least $130 billion is expected to be spent for the reopening of schools and $35 billion – for universities. Small businesses are promised $15 billion in grants, while $25 billion is envisaged to “help renters and small landlords make ends meet”, and $5 billion in emergency assistance to “people experiencing or at risk of homelessness”.
At the same time, the legislation suggests spending $20 billion for the universal vaccination programme and $50 billion for a “massive expansion” in coronavirus testing.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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