WASHINGTON D.C – The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the amended American Rescue Plan bill on March 10 and is now one step closer to be signed into law.
The American Rescue Plan is a historic and significant legislation which would help stabilize the economy and provide federal assistance needed to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Voting 220-211, the House stood along party lines to approve the amendments to the bill that was passed by the Senate on March 6 with a 50-49 partisan vote.
The final version of bill approved by the House was similar to President Biden’s proposal on January except for several amendments added by the Senate – removing the $15 federal minimum wage hike, reducing the weekly unemployment benefits from $400 to $300 but extending the payout from August 29 to September 6, and narrowing the individuals eligible for the $1,400 stimulus checks.
The bill also includes up to $3,600 tax credit for each child, $350 billion assistance to states, cities, territories and tribes, $880 million nutrition assistance, $20 billion housing aid for liw-income households, $125 billion assistance for safe re-opening of schools, among others.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) signed the $1.9T stimulus package on Capitol Hill to officially send the bill to Biden’s desk. After its approval from Congress, President Biden has signaled that he will sign the bill once it reaches his desk on Friday, March 12.