Senate Democrats passed the latest version of the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill after a more than 24-hour voting session that included the longest single vote in the chamber’s history.
The plan includes a wave of new spending, an extension of jobless benefits, another round of direct household payments, money for state and local governments and an expansion of vaccinations and virus-testing programs including a national vaccine distribution program for all residents regardless of immigration status.
The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the Senate’s version and must pass it before it can go to President Biden for his signature. Democrats are seeking to enact the legislation before unemployment benefits expire on March 14.
The legislation would rival the $2 trillion March 2020 CARES Act in size and scope and follow a $900 billion December relief package. After this bill, lawmakers plan to begin work on a longer-term economic recovery plan in coming weeks, aimed at job creation, infrastructure investment and development goals such as climate change.
Here are the key items: