Senate passes budget bill and paves way to pass Biden's plan

After 15 hours of negotiation, the Senate approved a budget project for fiscal year 2021 early this Friday. With this, the Democrats 

prepare the way for the approval of the proposal of 1.9 billion dollars of the president, Joe Biden,

 without need to have the support of Republicans. 

The resolution passed with 51 votes in favor and 50 against after an all-night Senate session during which the so-called "vote by branch" was held, a long and mostly symbolic series of votes on amendments on different themes. 

Vice President Kamala Harris, who chairs the Senate, cast the tiebreaker vote on the measure that will be key to enacting Biden's first major piece of legislation.

Some of the amendments adopted by the Senate include

grants for restaurants and bars affected by the pandemic

and a provision to avoid tax increases on small businesses during the crisis.

[Biden's plan calls for sending the $ 1,400 aid check only to those making less than $ 50,000]

Another of the approved amendments (with 99 votes in favor and one against) is to prevent

"high income" taxpayers

(income level was not specified)

qualify for the direct payments of $ 1,400 proposed by Biden.

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Republican senators also voted against

undocumented immigrants

receiving stimulus checks in an amendment, but Democrats managed to remove that provision from the final resolution. 

Return to the House of Representatives 

The budget bill had already been approved by the House of Representatives.

But because the Senate made changes to the regulations, based on these amendments, it generated a new version that now returns to the House for legislators to vote quickly. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Democrat Jim Clyburn, and the chairpersons of the relevant committees head to the White House this Friday morning to

meet with the President

and discuss about the pandemic aid package, two sources assured our sister network NBC News. 

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The budget resolution is not binding, which means that it does not carry the weight of the law. 

Once the proposal is approved, Congress can devote itself to drafting Biden's broad proposal into law, and pushing it through the Senate without Republican votes, if necessary.

A minimum wage of $ 15 an hour

Also,

the majority voted against raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour. 

Republican senators backed the amendment, introduced by Iowa party legislator Joni Ernst.

"A federal minimum wage of $ 15 would be devastating to our hardest hit small businesses at a time when they can least afford it," Ernst said at the venue. 

Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the main proponent of the proposal, said his plan is to carry out the increase over five years.

"We have to end the starvation wage crisis in Iowa and across America," Sanders responded. 

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A spokesman for Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer further said the amendment would not block the Democratic effort to add a minimum wage provision to the COVID-19 relief bill, with a gradual rise over five years. .

Biden's relief plan

The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives voted on Wednesday that Congress approve the stimulus package promoted by the president without the need for Republican support.

Although the bill is still being negotiated to achieve the maximum possible support, some details are already known, including that it will include a third direct aid check, valued at $ 1,400, but that, unlike the previous ones, will not reach all people.

Biden met with Democratic congressmen this week to discuss the possibility of reducing the groups that would be eligible to receive stimulus checks, in line with requirements previously made by Republican senators.

With information from AP, The Washngton Post, NBC News and The New York Times.