What would and would not include the second stimulus package?
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(CNN en Español) - -
The House of Representatives approved President Joe Biden's $ 1.9 billion COVID-19 pandemic aid package, an important step toward enacting the new administration's first legislative priority.
This bill was not passed with bipartisan support as no Republicans voted for the bill.
The final vote count was 219-212.
House Republicans had urged their members to vote against the package and tried to limit defections before the vote.
Two Democrats split from their party and voted against the bill: Kurt Schrader of Oregon and Jared Golden of Maine.
Republicans have argued that the legislation goes overboard and serves as a liberal wish list of agenda items and complains that they have been excluded from the bill-making process.
Democrats respond that they are willing to work with Republicans, but will not dilute the plan, saying they have a mandate to take radical steps to address the pandemic now that they control Congress and the White House.
The package presented by House Democrats includes direct help to small businesses, $ 1,400 in direct checks to Americans earning less than $ 75,000 annually, an increase in the child tax credit, direct funding to state governments and local, funding for schools and more money for vaccine distribution.
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Now, the Senate must take over the legislation.
The House version of the bill included a provision to raise the minimum wage, which the Senate has spoken out against including under reconciliation, and which Democrats are using to push the bill forward.
As a result, the expectation is that the Senate will remove the provision to increase the minimum wage and pass its version of the bill and then the House will have to accept and pass that legislation in another vote.
United States House of Representatives Economic Stimulus Joe Biden