Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the Covid relief bill at CNN Politics.
A Senate Democratic aide said they are still waiting for the official cost estimate before bringing their newly revised Covid-19 relief bill to the floor. There won’t be the initial procedural vote tonight as Democratic leaders had hoped.
In essence, this means the first procedural vote would happen as soon as tomorrow, but we still don’t know when that will be. And after the procedural vote, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson will force the bill to be read aloud by Senate clerks. The reading will take about 10 hours.
After the 10 hours, then there will be up to 20 hours of debate on the floor.
After that floor debate, then the vote-a-rama will occur — which will go on until senators decide to no longer offer amendments. It could stretch into the weekend.
The Senate just adjourned for the evening.
President Biden touted his administration’s Covid relief proposal in remarks Wednesday, telling members of the House Democratic Caucus the House-passed American Rescue Plan “is good policy, and is good politics.”
He went on to call the bill the most “broadly popular” piece of legislation he’s seen in his career in government.
“I’ve served in the Congress for 36 years before becoming vice president for eight. We never had anything this urgent and this ambitious that was so widely embraced,” Biden told lawmakers in a virtual address from the White House South Court auditorium, citing favorable polling on the relief package.
No Republicans joined Democrats in passing the bill through the House, and no Republican senators have announced their support for the package, which the Senate is slated to vote for later this week.
Still, Biden thanked Democrats for their support and urged them to stay unified in backing his administration’s plan for Covid relief, telling the members of Congress watching, “Staying unified as we complete this process of pass the American Rescue Plan won’t just make a difference in our fight against COVID-19 and our efforts to rebuild the economy, but will also show the American people are capable of coming together for what matters most to them.”
“I know we’re all making some small compromises, but I want to thank you I want to thank you for the work you’ve done. I want to thank you for the work we’re gonna continue to do,” Biden said. “I know parts of this and everything else we seek to do are not easy, but people are gonna remember how we showed up in this moment, how we listen to them, to them, not to special interests, to them and how we took action.”
In addition to forcing a full reading of the $1.9 trillion relief bill, a process that could take 10 hours, Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, said he plans other stall tactics to drag out floor debate.
He said he may object to dispensing with the reading of the text of every amendment being offered, a move that would force Senate clerks to read the language of the avalanche of amendments that will be offered as well.
“I think that would be a good idea,” he told CNN when asked if he would force a reading of every amendment. “We’re talking about $1.9 trillion … a stack of $1 billion dollars that would extend halfway past the distance to the moon. And we want to do this in a matter of hours? I don’t think that’s right.”
Johnson wouldn’t say how many days he would attempt to drag out floor debate, something he can do under the free-flowing rules of debate over budget reconciliation legislation. But he said he would offer as many amendments as he feels he needs to — and it would go on for “however long that takes.”
In order to offer an amendment, Johnson would need the support of 13 of his colleagues in order for the presiding officer to recognize there is a “sufficient second” so there could be a floor vote on that proposal to change the underlying bill.
It’s unclear if there will be 13 GOP senators who will agree with Johnson to drag out the votes for several days as he seems to be attempting to do.
“We can break this up into four shifts of 13 people if the entire Republican Conference is on board,” Johnson said. “I feel like I have a great deal of support in the conference.”
Asked if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is on board with his plan, Johnson said, “I haven’t gotten any negative pushback.”
When asked about Johnson’s plan to force a full reading of the bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “I haven’t heard about.”
Johnson responded, “He loves it.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, said he is “very pleased” with changes being made to the Covid relief bill, strongly signaling he’s ready to vote for the bill although stopping short of directly saying so.
Manchin, among the most conservative Democrats in the Senate, said he is still pushing to lower the weekly federal unemployment insurance payments in the bill from $400 to $300 a week, but suggested the issue is not a dealbreaker.
President Biden has agreed to make other changes to the House-passed Covid relief bill at the request of centrists in the Senate, including skewing stimulus checks away from higher earners. The Senate is set to bring the bill to the floor sometime this week.
“I’m very pleased with the discussions and the dialogues and the changes that have been agreed upon,” Manchin said. “I want to make sure I see the final product, I haven’t seen that yet. They’re still drafting.”
President Biden is expected to continue his engagement on the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill Wednesday evening when he addresses the House Democratic Caucus meeting virtually. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. ET.
Biden will speak for about two minutes and then take two questions from members, a White House official said, as he works to get the American Rescue Plan passed before unemployment benefits expire for millions of Americans on March 14.
Republicans are signaling they plan to force Senate clerks to read the full $1.9 trillion relief bill aloud. Typically that process is dispensed with, but any single member can object and force a full reading of the bill.
That alone could take 10 hours — even before votes begin.
Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, told a Wisconsin radio station he may try to drag the process out into the weekend, which he can do as long as he has another senator who seconds his motions to keep offering amendments.
“I’m going to make them read their 600 and 700 page bill,” Johnson said, confirming he will object to dispensing with the reading of the bill.
Johnson also signaled he plans to force a huge amount of amendments to drag out the process. “We need to keep this process going. .. I’m going to lead the effort to resist this thing.”
“It’s going to go longer than it’s ever gone before,” Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican from Indiana, said when asked how long he anticipated the voting session known as vote-a-rama to drag out.
“We are going to start with a full reading” of the bill. “I’d be for that.”
Senate Minority Whip John Thune confirmed to CNN that it’s “very possible” they force a full reading of the massive bill.
The small business community is calling on Congress to extend the March 31 Paycheck Protection Program loan deadline, warning that “many eligible businesses, independent contractors, sole proprietors, and self-employed people will not be approved” in that time frame.
In a letter to Senate and House leaders, 65 Chambers of Commerce, lenders, small business owners and national trade organizations are calling for the PPP deadline to be extended to June 30.
“There is simply not enough time in the next month for the SBA and ~5,000 lenders to convert rule changes into technical, content, support, and compliance updates and then get new applicants processed, approved, and funded,” the letter states, which includes signatures from companies like Lendio, as well as groups like the Small Business Majority, and the National Small Business Association.
To date, the Small Business Administration, or SBA, has processed 2 million loans in this latest round through 5,100 lenders, totaling $140 billion dollars. The total loan program is funded for $310 billion.
But some of the lenders who signed the letter to Congress say they have hundreds of thousands of backlogged applicants. New rules and changes to the program are causing a lag in processing, they claim.
The Biden administration announced an exclusive two-week window for businesses with less than 20 employees to apply for PPP loans, from Feb. 24 to March 10. However, lenders say there is confusion, as many are still waiting on new rules about how sole proprietors may apply for loans – many have less than 20 employees. The SBA says the new rules are due out this week.
That may cause an additional delay in processing, according to small business advocates.
“Many applications will require revisions after new rules are published this week. And another wave of applications is widely expected. We all want small businesses to survive so we can rebuild our communities. Therefore, we ask that you extend the Paycheck Protection Program until at least June 30, 2021,” the letter reads.
A bipartisan group of 16 senators are meeting right now ahead of votes on the Covid-19 relief plan, according to an aide.
It’s unclear if they will be able to agree on any amendments that would change the contours of the bill.
The Senate’s vote-a-rama could start tomorrow afternoon.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said earlier today in remarks on the Senate floor that the chamber will move to take up the relief package “as early as tonight.”
Meanwhile, a Democratic source told CNN Wednesday, President Biden has agreed to a compromise with moderate Democrats to narrow the income eligibility for the next round of $1,400 stimulus checks that are included in the Senate bill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Democrats want to see “the total package when it comes out, but so far so good,” as the Senate works on tweaks to the Covid relief bill before bringing the bill to a vote.
Pelosi made the comments to a reporter when asked specifically if she is okay with a lower threshold for stimulus checks.
The Hill team has reported that President Biden has agreed to a compromise with moderate Democrats to narrow the income eligibility for the next round of $1,400 stimulus checks included in the Senate bill.
Separately, Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, a former co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, took issue with Democrats over what he described as a “stupid” negotiation, but signaled the change won’t kill the deal.
“The Senate is going to have seriously look at their rules if this is going to hold things up or make stupid negotiations like this occur. At some point we may have to do more pushing to help them come around to something,” he said, but added, “This has to get out there. I don’t know if it pays to just jockey back and forth at that point.”
President Biden has agreed to a compromise with moderate Democrats to narrow the income eligibility for the next round of $1,400 stimulus checks that are included in a bill the Senate is expected to take up this week, a Democratic source told CNN Wednesday.
That means fewer families will receive a partial payment than they would have under the original plan. The new compromise completely cuts off those who earn more than $160,000 a year and individuals who earn more than $80,000 a year.
Under this proposal, this means, for example, if you are a single filer making more than $80,000 a year, you would not receive a stimulus check, where as under previous proposal you could earn up to $100,000 before the amount of stimulus you would qualify for was completely phased out.
The House version of the bill set the income caps at $200,000 for couples and $100,000 for individuals.
But the same households will receive the full payment of $1,400 per person, including children. Individuals earning less than $75,000 and couples earning less than $150,000 will — just as in the House bill. Then, the payments will phase out faster for those earning more.
Here’s a look at the latest breakdown:
Unlike the previous two rounds, adult dependents — including college students — are expected to be eligible for the payments.
The House bill had already narrowed the eligibility compared to earlier rounds of stimulus payments. It still would have sent money to more than 93% of tax filers, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
The federal government sent payments worth up to $1,200 per person last year and up to $600 in January. The next round is intended to top off the $600 checks so that individuals receive a total of $2,000.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki attempted to clarify reports that President Biden has signed off on reduced income thresholds surrounding direct payments in the administration’s Covid-relief plan, telling reporters in the briefing room Wednesday, “some of the reporting is aligned with accuracy and some is not.”
Biden, Psaki said, “has been firm on the importance of the $1,400 checks going out to Americans,” but he’s “also been firm on the, the thresholds at which Americans should receive those checks.”
CNN reported earlier today that Biden has signed off on a demand from some moderate Democrats to phase out the $1,400 direct stimulus checks at a faster rate, beginning at $75,000 for single filers and ending at $80,000; at $112,500 for head of household and ending at $120,000, and at $150,000 for joint filers and ending at $160,000.
Biden, Psaki said, is “comfortable with where the negotiations stand … and knows there will be tweaks at the margin, what his firm viewpoint is, is that it needs to meet the scope of the challenge, it needs to be the size he’s proposed. It needs to have the core components, in order to have the impact on the American people.”
House Chair of the Rules committee Jim McGovern said he is still supportive of the Covid-19 relief package even as the Senate is making changes to it, including narrowing the income eligibility for the next round of $1,400 stimulus check.
“We got to get this done,” McGovern told reporters. “I think what we did over here was you know something that the Senate would just accept, but they have their own realities that they have to deal with so at the end of the day I just want to get to yes.”
“It’s not what I would have preferred but we have to get this package done, there is a lot in it. People will still get relief,” McGovern added, making it plain: “I’m still a yes.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the Senate will move to take up the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package “as early as tonight.”
Schumer spoke at length in a floor speech defending the relief bill against ongoing Republican attacks, arguing it’s not a “liberal wish list” it’s an “American wish list.”
He said many Republicans are “resorting to the same predictable objections they raise about nearly every proposal supported by a Democrat. It doesn’t matter what’s in the bill. Everything my colleagues oppose is ‘liberal wish list.’ That’s what many of them call it. Well, let me tell you this bill is not a liberal wish list. This is an American wish list.”
Schumer also noted the Covid bill includes bipartisan amendments, including a new provision championed by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and GOP Sen. Susan Collins to better “target direct payments.”
As CNN’s Lauren Fox reported earlier Wednesday, a compromise was reached on making the checks more targeted, which some Democrats like Manchin and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen had been pushing for.
A Democratic source tells CNN that President Biden has signed off on making the stimulus checks’ salary eligibility more targeted in the Senate bill, to accommodate a request from moderates.
Here’s a look at the latest breakdown:
Under this proposal, this means, for example, if you are a single filer making more than $80,000 a year, you would not receive a stimulus check, where as under previous proposal you could earn up to $100,000 before the amount of stimulus you would qualify for was completely phased out.
Two big projects originally slated to be part of the Covid-19 relief bill but criticized as being unrelated to coronavirus relief will be pulled from the package, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.
The original bill, passed by the House, included $1.425 billion in funding to help with transit rail capital projects, including the extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit line from San Jose to Santa Clara, California.
It had been part of $30 billion in support for public transportation in the relief package, but Pelosi’s office said Tuesday that the Senate parliamentarian had ruled against its inclusion because it was part of a pilot project.
The relief package will also no longer include funding for the Seaway International Bridge in upstate New York. The $1.5 million in funding had been proposed during the Trump administration and supported by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose district includes the bridge.
A Senate source told CNN that the request to including funding for the bridge in the relief legislation was originally made by the Department of Transportation under the Trump administration in spring 2020 and that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, hadn’t known the funding was in the bill until he read about it in media reports.
Republicans have held up both projects as examples of spending in the bill that would benefit the Democratic leaders’ districts and home states and have very little to do with helping Americans recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Stefanik did not support the relief bill and said the funding for the bridge should not have been included.
The Senate could move to a vote later today, a Senate Democratic aide said, adding that right now they are waiting for the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee staff to “score” the bill with the Senate amendment.
“That shows it is fully in compliance with the Senate budget resolution’s reconciliation instructions. We are hopeful that score is returned today so the Senate can move to proceed to the House-passed bill and offer the Senate amendment as early as today,” the aide said.
What’s next: Once the Senate moves to proceed to the legislation, there is up to 20 hours of debate. After that time has expired – or yielded back – the Senate “vote-a-rama” begins. It will last until all amendment are disposed of before there is a vote on final passage.
Moderate Democrats, in their meeting with President Biden on Monday, made it clear they wanted a few things in this final package. They wanted more money for broadband, an extension of some small business tax credits and money for rural hospitals.
They also wanted to make the $1,400 stimulus payments more targeted and lower the weekly federal unemployment benefits to $300 instead of $400.
Biden signaled an openness to some changes on the funding side, but he also made it known that lawmakers needed to work this out with their leadership. He wasn’t going to get involved.
That’s been precisely what has been going on the last 24 hours. It’s also why Biden didn’t get into details of what he would or wouldn’t support in Tuesday’s call rallying Democrats to stay united in the vote-a-rama ahead.
White House legislative affairs has been instrumental in this working through last-minute sticking points with leadership and playing go between with member offices.
The President himself has been letting the caucus legislate and staying focused on the bigger picture: actually passing something at the end of the week.
Aides close to the process tell CNN that it’s not entirely finished yet, but the expectation is that there will be additional funding for broadband infrastructure in the bill. Talks about unemployment insurance are still ongoing.
One of the challenges of increasing any funding streams is that every single committee only has so much money they can spend under the reconciliation instructions. If you go over, you lose your ability to pass this bill with 51 votes. It’s part of why even simple adds take time here.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Monday that the Senate will take up the legislation “this week,” saying, “I expect a hardy debate and some late nights.”
One reason late nights are expected and that will make the job of Democratic leadership more challenging is that senators are walking into a legislative minefield later this week since the relief bill is being considered under budget reconciliation rules that allow a free-flowing amendment process, meaning senators can force votes on as many amendments as they like.
That means if two Democrats break ranks, they could amend the bill with the backing of 49 Republicans.
The House passed the legislation with a provision to increase the minimum wage. But that can’t be included in the Senate’s version of the bill, according to a ruling from the parliamentarian, a little known but powerful Senate official. As a result, the Senate is expected to strip that provision out in its version of the bill, necessitating a separate vote in the House to sync up the legislation.
Republicans have so far been united in opposition to the measure, which they argue Democrats have crafted without their input and have designed to serve as a liberal wish list of agenda items. Democrats, for their part, say they are willing to work with Republicans, but will not water down a package that they say will deliver much needed aid to the American people hard hit by the pandemic.
Some Senate Republicans are privately advocating to extend the marathon voting session — known as vote-a-rama — for days on end.
Under the rules of budget reconciliation, they can do that — if they have the stamina — since any senator can force a vote on an amendment with the backing of one of his or her colleagues.
At a private lunch yesterday, Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, floated this idea, according to a source briefed on the exchange. In the mid-90s, one vote-a-rama session took weeks to conclude.
It’s doubtful this could go that long and most expect the session to wrap up sometime Friday. But senators are bracing for the votes to potentially extend into the weekend.
Votes could begin as soon as tomorrow.
Johnson’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.
In a furious last-minute push, Democrats are scrambling to put their final touches on a $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that the entire caucus will have to support, a task that has proven difficult in the final hours of negotiations and revealed the uphill climb the party will have ahead in moving Biden’s agenda in the future even when it is through reconciliation.
Where things stand: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – in coordination with key committee chairs– has been working around the clock to finalize the bill text. As of this morning, it still is not finished.
Progressives and moderates are still trying to extract concessions and make changes to the bill that passed and leadership was still waiting as of late yesterday for some smaller rulings from the Senate’s parliamentarian, according to sources.
As a result, legislative counsel has been drafting multiple iterations of the bill so that Democrats will be ready to go when decisions are finally made. If it feels a little rushed, a little last minute. Welcome to Congress.
A timing note: It’s possible this goes into the weekend if leadership gets delayed in bringing a bill to the floor today. It’s important to remember that whatever Schumer lays down on the floor today can still be changed, and I am told that is certainly something that is possible.
But, it’s also an option to wait to begin debate until the final product is ready to go to the floor. If they wait, it delays the 20 hours of debate and the eventual vote-a-rama we expected to begin tomorrow night.
