Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan passes House of Representatives
Washington, Feb 27 (efe-epa).- The United States House of Representatives on Saturday approved President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan.
Lawmakers in the lower house voted 219 to 212 to pass the emergency pandemic funds, with two Democrats siding with Republican attempts to block the measure. It now heads to the Senate.
It was the first major piece of legislation pushed by Biden’s administration and includes a bid to distribute $1,400 stimulus cheques to the American people.
The bill would also include $350B of funding for local and state governments, $20B for the vaccination program and another $50B for Covid-19 testing.
It also aims to extend unemployment benefits to August, given the current scheme concludes on 14 March.
The main point of friction so far is the proposal to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour.
The Senate has already shot this measure down. EFE-EPA
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