With Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan attending his father in laws funeral, Vice President Kamala Harris was able to sleep in today and not have to break a tie in the United States Senate as Democrats, in a 50 to 49 vote, passed their version of the American Rescue Plan.
Saying “help is on the way,” for the American People, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer thanked everyone that made one of the most significant pieces of domestic legislation (in sheer dollar value anyway) in United States history.
The major difference between the House and Senate versions of the American Rescue Plan is the regrettable absence of a minimum wage increase in the Upper Chamber legislation.
Other differences were trimmings in budget line items like cash payments (12 million fewer people will not receive cash payments in the Senate version) and unemployment insurance ($300 a month in the Senate bill compared to $400 in the House.)
The approved version, like the House measure, contains funds for:
- Vaccination Production and Distribution.
- Cash payments for qualifying individuals and families.
- Enhanced Unemployment Insurance until September 6, 2021, and tax credits (the deal made with Senator Manchin.)
- Safely reopening schools.
- Combatting food insecurity.
- State and local government aid.
- Health care subsidies.
- Increases in the Earned Income and Child Tax Credit that could reduce child poverty in the country by half. That is truly tremendous.
- Small business assistance.
- Rental and mortgage assistance.
Republicans did what they do historically best: Obstruct and vote no when a Democratic economic plan comes up for consideration.
Ron conspiracy-loving Trumpist Johnson wasted the Senate’s time for ten hours by having the chamber clerks read the bill on the floor.
Republicans did not even give a viable counter-proposal to the legislation. The best they could do having Susan Collins submit the original $650 billion dollar plan they had used to start negotiations at the beginning of the process as an amendment.
That proposal was a nonstarter then and it was dead on arrival in the Senate during the Vote-A-Rama.
Commenting on the Senate passage, President Biden called it “historic” and said: “It’s a good day today” and “It’s not a moment too soon.”
Please watch the President’s comments by clicking below.
Moving forward, the Senate bill goes back to the House where Speaker Nancy Pelosi guarantees passage.
Do not be surprised if the Progressives in the House try to get back at the Moderates (like Sinema and her ill-advised way of voting no stunt on the minimum wage and I want to be in the news Manchin who unbelievably held proceedings up for hours on the unemployment amendments) in the Senate by huffing, posturing, screaming bloody murder, and threatening to derail the Senate version before the bill passes there.
Ilan Omar was on CNN yesterday, claiming that Donald Trump provided more in cash payments than the current American Rescue Plan.
That may very well be.
If Ms. Omar knew where the votes were in the Senate to pass the House version of the American Rescue Plan, she should have clued in Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer.
Even in the Senate version, the American People are going to receive a considerable amount of assistance and many benefits from the American Rescue Plan.
Everyone needs to remember that.
After President Biden signs the American Rescue Plan, the Democrats still have more to do to continue moving the country forward again. These measures include:
- Infrastructure (do not be surprised if the Keystone Pipeline does not come back to get Manchin and Tester votes for clean energy projects in another reconciliation vote.)
- Minimum Wage coupled with making the changes in the Child and Earned Income Tax Credit permanent. The key to gaining Republican support (they will need ten in the Senate) will probably have to be a smaller minimum wage (probably $11 or $12 an hour) along with some business tax credits/cuts.
- Voting Rights.
- Immigration Reform.
- Improving the Affordable Care Act.
- Filibuster Reform. That is becoming increasingly likely and necessary for the above measures that can not be passed through reconciliation.
The Biden/Harris Administration and Democratic Congress appear to have mastered the lesson from Lyndon Johnson who reportedly told his staff following his 1964 Presidential victory over Barry Goldwater:
“You’ve got to give it all you can, that first year. Doesn’t matter what kind of majority you come in with. You’ve got just one year when they treat you right.”
Judging from the recent history of modern Presidencies since World War Two, Johnson’s declaration is largely on point.
There is not a moment to lose and the clock is ticking for the Biden/Harris Administration and Democratic Congress to finish what they have started with the pending passage of the American Rescue Plan.