Senate Democrats reached an agreement on Friday to reduce the amount of the subsidy, although they extended the benefit for another month.
Senate Democrats reached an agreement Friday to reduce the amount of extra weekly unemployment aid to $300 as part of the Biden Administration’s $1.9 billion coronavirus crisis relief package that is expected to pass the legislature this weekend.
In an attempt to avoid further delays in the passage of the “American Rescue Plan,” the majority in the Senate agreed to cut $400 to $300.
However, the additional federal aid would be extended for another month, until the end of September.
Another change related to unemployment benefits, according to an amendment introduced by Delaware’s Democratic Senator Tom Carper, is that the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits will not be taxable.
The version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives last Saturday called for an additional $400 a week, but until August 29. The agreement, reached by moderate and progressive Democrats, does not have the backing of the Republican Party.
Republicans continue to oppose Biden’s stimulus package
Republican leaders in the Senate have moved to stall the proceedings to put on the record that they do not support the piece of legislation.
Yesterday, the start of debate in that legislative body was delayed by Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s demand that clerks read aloud the 628-page bill. In all, staffers spent 10 hours, 43 minutes and 9 seconds reading, finishing after 2 a.m. Friday.
Despite Republicans’ intent to torpedo the Biden Administration’s first major bill in the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has insisted that the package will pass before Monday.
Democrats are expected to use the “reconciliation” process to expeditiously pass the legislation without Republican votes.
Democrats have set a March 14 deadline for President Joe Biden to sign the bill into law and release the benefits. On that day, the extra unemployment benefits approved in December under the second stimulus bill expire.