Biden scores legislative win as House passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

[rooster59]

Biden scores legislative win as House passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

By Richard Cowan and Andy Sullivan

 

FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol dome is seen in Washington, U.S., December 17, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden scored his first legislative win as the House of Representatives passed his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package early Saturday, though Democrats faced challenges to their hopes of using the bill to raise the minimum wage.

 

Democrats who control the chamber passed the sweeping measure by a mostly party-line vote of 219 to 212 and sent it on to the Senate, where Democrats planned a legislative maneuver to allow them to pass it without the support of Republicans.

 

The American Rescue Plan would pay for vaccines and medical supplies and send a new round of emergency financial aid to households, small businesses and state and local governments.

 

Democrats said the package was needed to fight a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work.

 

"The American people need to know that their government is there for them," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in debate on the House floor.

 

Republicans, who have broadly backed previous COVID-19 spending, said much of the current package was not necessary, highlighting elements like a subway near Pelosi's San Francisco district. Only 9% of the total would go directly toward fighting the virus, they said.

 

"It just throws out money without accountability," House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said.

 

The House vote amounted to a successful first test for Democrats, who hold a narrow 221-211 majority in the chamber.

Progressives and moderates in the party who are often at odds will face tougher battles ahead on immigration and climate change initiatives that Biden wants to push.

 

The president has focused his first weeks in office on tackling the greatest U.S. public health crisis in a century, which has upended most aspects of American life.

 

Democrats aim to get the bill to him to sign into law before mid-March, when enhanced unemployment benefits and some other types of aid are due to expire.

 

The bill's big-ticket items include $1,400 direct payments to individuals, a $400-per-week federal unemployment benefit through Aug. 29, and help for those in difficulty paying rents and home mortgages during the pandemic.

 

The action now moves to the Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris may have to cast a tie-breaking vote in a chamber where Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats and their allies control the other 50.

 

FATE OF MINIMUM WAGE HIKE UNCLEAR

 

Democrats will have to sort out how to handle a proposed minimum-wage increase, which may have to be stripped from the bill due to the complicated rules that govern the Senate.

 

The House-passed bill would raise the national hourly minimum wage for the first time since 2009, to $15 from $7.25. The increase is a top priority for progressive Democrats.

 

However, the Senate's rules expert said on Thursday that the wage hike did not qualify for special treatment that allows the rest of the bill to be passed with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes needed to advance most legislation in the 100-seat chamber.

 

Pelosi predicted the relief bill will pass Congress with or without the increase, and said Democrats would not give up on the matter.

 

It is not clear whether the minimum-wage hike would have survived the Senate even if it were to be kept in the bill. At least two Senate Democrats oppose it, along with most Republicans.

 

Some senators are floating a smaller increase, to the range of $10 to $12 per hour, while Democrats are considering a penalty for large corporations that do not voluntarily pay a $15 wage, according to a Democratic aide.

 

Efforts to craft a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill fizzled early on, shortly after Biden was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, following a series of bipartisan bills enacted in 2020.

 

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Andy Sullivan; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, David Morgan and Eric Beech; Writing by Andy Sullivan and John Whitesides; Editing by Scott Malone and Frances Kerry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-27

 

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[Orton Rd]

1.9 trillion wasted is a win?

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

1.9 trillion wasted is a win?

Wasted?

[Morch]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Wasted?

 

Wasted, as in not handed and signed by Trump.

[Tug]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

1.9 trillion wasted is a win?

No sir 500,000 lives wasted is waste this money is going towards dealing with the catastrophe left behind by the last administration it’s going towards safety reopening schools keeping folks from becoming homeless restarting the economy and getting folks vaccinated so no it’s not wast it’s one of the reasons (most) folks pay taxes

[Chomper Higgot]

And not handed as tax give always to the hyper wealthy, what on earth is going on?!

[cmarshall]

I hope the Dems do the right thing and overturn the filibuster rule to pass the $15/hour federal minimum wage that the public supports so strongly.  They promised the voters and should deliver.  

[mtls2005]

$2.0T in tax cuts, good.

 

$1.9T in help, bad.

 

Legislation is said to poll at 76% favorable overall, 60% with republicans.

 

Getting things done.

 

 

And I don't get what the issue is with a $15/hr minimum wage? My burger will cost 1 penny more? Oh the horror. A living wage is the least we can offer, and they'll be paying more in tax. Since it results in additional tax revenue it seems like it can be included via "reconciliation"?

 

 

The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour.

 

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by mtls2005

[charmonman]

18 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

1.9 trillion wasted is a win?

Please explain how money for vaccinations, relief for small businesses affected by shutdowns and restrictions, and aid for millions of people thrown out of work due to the bad economy is wasted.

 

[Sujo]

19 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

1.9 trillion wasted is a win?

Trump wanted more.

[Isaan sailor]

So they want to raise the minimum wage to $15./hour?  Why not $30./hour?  Better yet, how ‘bout $100.00/hour?

I guess Democrats don’t care about job losses.

[Phoenix Rising]

1 hour ago, Isaan sailor said:

So they want to raise the minimum wage to $15./hour?  Why not $30./hour?  Better yet, how ‘bout $100.00/hour?

I guess Democrats don’t care about job losses.

"So they want to raise the minimum wage to $15./hour? Why not $30./hour? Better yet, how ‘bout $100.00/hour?"

How 'bout toning down the hyperbole?

 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

So they want to raise the minimum wage to $15./hour?  Why not $30./hour?  Better yet, how ‘bout $100.00/hour?

I guess Democrats don’t care about job losses.

Not all at once. Bit by bit up to 2025 according to Sander's plan. Florida, a fairly strong base for Republicans as you know ,  voted for Trump but also for a $15 minimum wage. Companies like Costco pay more than this already and still turn a decent profit. 

I do get the reluctance for some small businesses but at some point people have to be able to get a wage they can live off. Trump did see some increase in wages before he stuffed up Covid - but the theory that you give tax cuts to the rich, and it will lead to wages the poorer employees can actually live off, just never seems to happen.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Fat is a type of crazy

[Thomas J]

The market does a very good job of determining wages.  At the same time those are "concerned" about minimum wage for employees they are simultaneously flooding the market with illegals who will work for cash under the table.  

Also wages end up in the prices customers pay.  So take Walmart.  A $15 wage helps the employees receiving it, but hurts the customers who now have to pay higher prices.  So it is a zero sum game where you are "helping" one group but hurting another.  Business always strives to cut costs.  Labor is typically the number 1 expense for companies.  The higher it is as a percentage of sales, the more incentive there is for business to explore ways to reduce labor and/or automate.  The minimum wage while it may have good intentions may have the unintended consequence of eliminating the very job, those at the lowest level of the income ladder work out.  The goal should be not to keep people at the minimum but provide job training for much higher paying jobs.  The USA has a shortage of electricians, plumbers, boilermakers, machinists, etc. Jobs that don't require a college degree but do require some skills training.   Why not really help people by proving a way to a good paying job, not one paying minimum wage

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/08/raising-minimum-wage-to-15-would-cost-1point4-million-jobs-cbo-says.html#:~:text=Raising minimum wage to %2415 would cost 1.4 million jobs%2C CBO says,-Published Mon%2C Feb&text=A rise in the minimum,Congressional Budget Office said Monday.

 

 

 

 

[phantomfiddler]

3 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

So they want to raise the minimum wage to $15./hour?  Why not $30./hour?  Better yet, how ‘bout $100.00/hour?

I guess Democrats don’t care about job losses.

All China needs to do is watch this ridiculous behavior and rest secure in the knowledge they will rule the world as far as the sales of consumer goods is concerned. Just raising minimum wages at political whim is what is known in mathematical terms as un unstable equation ????

[GinBoy2]

1 hour ago, Thomas J said:

The market does a very good job of determining wages.  At the same time those are "concerned" about minimum wage for employees they are simultaneously flooding the market with illegals who will work for cash under the table.  

Also wages end up in the prices customers pay.  So take Walmart.  A $15 wage helps the employees receiving it, but hurts the customers who now have to pay higher prices.  So it is a zero sum game where you are "helping" one group but hurting another.  Business always strives to cut costs.  Labor is typically the number 1 expense for companies.  The higher it is as a percentage of sales, the more incentive there is for business to explore ways to reduce labor and/or automate.  The minimum wage while it may have good intentions may have the unintended consequence of eliminating the very job, those at the lowest level of the income ladder work out.  The goal should be not to keep people at the minimum but provide job training for much higher paying jobs.  The USA has a shortage of electricians, plumbers, boilermakers, machinists, etc. Jobs that don't require a college degree but do require some skills training.   Why not really help people by proving a way to a good paying job, not one paying minimum wage

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/08/raising-minimum-wage-to-15-would-cost-1point4-million-jobs-cbo-says.html#:~:text=Raising minimum wage to %2415 would cost 1.4 million jobs%2C CBO says,-Published Mon%2C Feb&text=A rise in the minimum,Congressional Budget Office said Monday.

 

 

 

 

Why are we talking about the $15.Hr minimum wage provision when it was stripped from the bill that passed?

 

Does anyone actually read reality anymore or just rely on facebook/twitter nonsense.

 

Biden is a Senate guy, he knew that the $15 minimum was never going to pass, so the House parliamentarian decision to strip it from the bill was a Godsend

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.  If you make an assertion that something is factually correct then you do need to back it up with a credible link.  Not doing so can earn a warning and suspension.  

 

The $15.00 minimum wage is out of the bill, as mentioned by @GinBoy2.  Further commentary on that issue will be removed.  It's off-topic.

 

[Thomas J]

You just can't make this stuff up.  Government passes upwards of $5.1 Trillion to "stimulate" the economy, then is considering major tax hike. 

Its like a doctor who gives you CPR and then puts a pillow over your face and presses down. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-plans-major-federal-tax-increase-almost-3-decades-report-2021-3

[placeholder]

54 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

You just can't make this stuff up.  Government passes upwards of $5.1 Trillion to "stimulate" the economy, then is considering major tax hike. 

Its like a doctor who gives you CPR and then puts a pillow over your face and presses down. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-plans-major-federal-tax-increase-almost-3-decades-report-2021-3

It should be obvious that it depends on who is being taxed. Corporations and the wealthy have accumulated so much cash that there's way too much of it for productive investments. So instead, high end real estate, art works, etc soar in price. Or they put their cash into Bitcoin. 

[placeholder]

On 2/28/2021 at 7:09 PM, phantomfiddler said:

All China needs to do is watch this ridiculous behavior and rest secure in the knowledge they will rule the world as far as the sales of consumer goods is concerned. Just raising minimum wages at political whim is what is known in mathematical terms as un unstable equation ????

Funny I remember when Trump supporters were claiming we should bring those good paying manufacturing jobs back to the USA even if it meant higher prices.

[xylophone]

On 2/28/2021 at 6:07 PM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

but the theory that you give tax cuts to the rich, and it will lead to wages the poorer employees can actually live off, just never seems to happen.

That hypothesis has been labelled the "trickle down theory" and has been criticised by many learned folk as not working.

Tax cuts were given to the wealthy by the previous incumbent and most of it was used to increase their stockholding, and thereby boost the share market as well as their own wealth.

Giving someone a decent living wage will put the money where it can be used best, and will be spent in/on the economy.