The House Budget Committee has approved legislation advancing President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, setting a path for intense debate in the Senate.
The legislation is set for a vote on the House floor at the end of the week. The Senate is then expected to take up the legislation and attempt to modify it to ensure it can pass procedural hurdles while still satisfying all 50 Senate Democrats.
Republicans have generally rejected the need for such a sweeping relief package. Many, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., say Congress should wait to see the economic impact of the relief measures that were approved in December. Democrats, including Biden, have insisted that more relief is needed now, particularly for lower-wage workers and people who have been unable to find new jobs in the pandemic.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has told reporters that the legislation is aimed at helping people who are most at risk as the economy remains frozen by the virus.
But Senate Democrats remain split over some key elements, like a plan to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 over the next four years. Leaders are focused on working out any differences among Democrats before March 14, when current federal unemployment benefits are scheduled to expire.