U.S. President Joe Biden called on the Senate to pass quickly in connection with the passing of a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill in the House of Representatives.
President Biden said in a speech after passing the House of Representatives on the 27th, “In the past few weeks, many American publics have supported the corona stimulus I proposed.”
“Now the bill has passed to the Senate, and we hope to act quickly,” he stressed, “We have no time to waste.”
“If we act decisively, swiftly and boldly, we can overcome the virus and move the economy again,” said President Biden, repeatedly urging the Senate to pass legislation.
In the early morning of the 27th, the US House of Representatives passed the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill with a slight difference of 219 votes in favor and 212 votes against.
All opposition Republican lawmakers objected, while two opposing the ruling Democratic Party.
The bill includes plans to pay up to $1,400 in cash per person, extend additional unemployment benefits, expand vaccine vaccinations and tests for the novel coronavirus, and fund normalization support for schools.
US media reports that the Democratic Party’s proposal to raise the minimum wage in the bill will be the biggest issue ahead of a Senate vote.
Earlier, the Senate Secretariat said that the item of raising the minimum wage was not covered by the budget agenda, but the House included this in the stimulus bill.
How the Senate will solve this problem is unclear.
The Democrats are working on raising the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7 and 25 cents an hour, to $15.
VOA news