Forbes: Senate Passage of the “Massive Relief Bill” Sets Up A “Major Victory” for the Biden Administration
NPR: Democrats Deliver on Campaign Promises, Cement A Major Legislative Victory for President Biden
ABC News: Passage Of President Biden’s “First Major Legislative Achievement” Comes As He Holds A 68 Percent Approval Rating on COVID
New York Times: President Biden’s Plan Will Have “Far-Reaching Effects” and “Amounts To An Ambitious Antipoverty Program”
Following the Senate’s approval of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan on Saturday, the bill now heads back to the House, where a final vote is expected Tuesday before it goes to President Biden’s desk. The “sweeping” relief legislation provides direct checks to Americans and funding for vaccine distribution, reopening schools, and small businesses. The “colossal package” also includes aid for state and local governments to keep essential workers like nurses, firefighters and EMTs on the job.
Forbes: The Senate Passed The American Rescue Plan, A “Massive Relief Bill,” Setting Up A “Major Victory” For Biden. “Senate Democrats passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on Saturday afternoon in a 50-49 vote after a grueling all-night voting session, pushing the massive relief bill over a crucial hurdle on its way to becoming law over the objections of the Republican Party and setting up a major victory for Biden in the early days of his presidency.” [Forbes, 3/6/21]
NPR:The Relief Package Delivers On Democrats’ Campaign Promises And Cements A Major Legislative Victory For The Biden Administration. “House Democrats are expected to pass the final version of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Tuesday, thus delivering on Democrats’ campaign promises and cementing a major legislative victory for the Biden administration. […] The colossal package would bring a new round of payments to Americans still battling against the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and it includes an increase to the child tax credit and an extension of supplemental unemployment benefits through Sept. 6.” [NPR, 3/8/21]
ABC News: Passage Of The American Rescue Plan, Biden’s “First Major Legislative Achievement,” Comes As Biden Holds A 68% Approval Rating For His Approach To The Pandemic. “On the cusp of scoring his first major legislative achievement, more than two-thirds of Americans (68%) approve of Biden’s approach to the pandemic — a consistent result since he took office in January. At a moment of deep political polarization, his steady approval is also reinforced by positive marks from 35% of Republicans, 67% of independents and an overwhelming 98% of Democrats in the poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel. The solid backing of the president’s coronavirus response comes as Congress pushes forward on Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, which passed the evenly divided Senate along a party-line vote on Saturday. The package, which will provide relief to lower-income Americans, small businesses, schools and state and local governments, must now pass the House before it heads to Biden’s desk.” [ABC News, 3/7/21]
New York Times: President Biden’s “Mammoth” Rescue Plan Will Have “Far-Reaching Effects On Society” And “Amounts To An Ambitious Antipoverty Program.” “President Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic stimulus plan would have far-reaching effects on society as the country tries to turn the corner on a pandemic that has killed more than half a million people in the United States. The mammoth bill approved by the Senate on Saturday would provide direct payments to Americans, extend jobless benefits and provide a huge financial infusion to states and local governments as well as to schools to help them reopen. It provides funding for priorities like coronavirus testing and vaccine distribution. And it amounts to an ambitious antipoverty program, offering significant benefits for low-income people.” [New York Times, 3/7/21]
ABC News: The “Sweeping” COVID Relief Legislation Is Aimed At Helping Lower-Income Americans, Small Businesses, Schools, And State And Local Governments Recover From The Pandemic. “After more than 25 hours of debate and votes, Senate Democrats passed a sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill Saturday aimed at helping lower-income Americans, small businesses, schools, the hard-hit hospitality and tourism industries, as well as state and local governments — with aid also going to boost front-line pandemic work, vaccines, testing and tracing plans. The bill passed on a party-line vote and will now head back over to the House, which will have to reconcile several key changes before it heads to President Joe Biden’s desk just days before unemployment benefits expire for millions of Americans. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer jubilantly celebrated the bill’s passage on Saturday afternoon, hailing it as ‘perhaps the most significant bill to help the poor and working people in decades.’ Schumer also praised Biden for his leadership, saying he put together ‘a great plan.’” [ABC News, 3/6/21]