Congressional Leadership Pushing President Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Plan

This week, the House announced it plans to vote on February 26, 2021 on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan.  The tight timeline reflects the urgency to approve another round of stimulus payments, jobless compensation and funding for schools and vaccines before they expire on March 14th. In less than four weeks, Democrats are attempting to pass a bill out of the House and get all 50 Senate Democrats to back the legislation.

House committees approved pandemic-relief legislation last week under a fast-track budget reconciliation framework, which will allow them to move the bill with simple majorities in both chambers.  House Speaker Pelosi has said that she will send the bill to the Senate as soon as it passes the House. Senate Majority Schumer is looking for ways to speed up the process once the bill reaches him, which include bypassing Senate Finance Committee approval for parts of the bill in order to get the legislation to President Biden before federal unemployment benefits expire on March 14th.  Republicans have criticized that approach, saying Democrats should follow the regular legislative process.