The US House passed an enormous, $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package early Saturday, hailed by Democrats as a critical step in funneling new funding toward vaccinations, overburdened local governments, and millions of families devastated by the pandemic.
The sharply partisan result comes weeks after Biden s January 20 inauguration, when he called for unity in the face of a once-in-a-century health crisis.
US House passes $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan, Senate next
AFP/Washington
Photo: Reuters
The package cleared the House despite a major setback for Democrats,
The US House passed an enormous, $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package early Saturday, hailed by Democrats as a critical step in funnelling new funding toward vaccinations, overburdened local governments, and millions of families devastated by the pandemic.
Four days after the Covid-19 death toll surpassed 500,000 in the United States, the sprawling measure backed by President Joe Biden and seen as a moral imperative by many now heads to the Senate for consideration next week.
“After 12 months of death and despair, the American recovery begins tonight,” congressman Brendan Boyle told the House chamber shortly before lawmakers approved the package on an rare post-midnight vote of 219 to 212.
Equality Act, which faces uphill battle in Senate, explicitly includes sexual orientation and gender identification as protected under existing civil rights law
The Federal Equality Act Could Make Bills Like HB 2 Relics of the Past
Today, the U.S. House is set to pass the Equality Act, a sweeping bill that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, education, jury service, federally funded programs including healthcare, and businesses and any other spaces or entities that serve the public. These include retail stores, exhibitions, recreation, amusement and exercise providers, providers of goods, services and programs, and transportation service providers. The act covers public restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms as well.Â
Identified as one of President Joe Bidenâs top priorities in his first 100 days in office, the billâs passage would add protections for LGBTQ Americans to the nationâs existing civil rights laws and would protect women and girls in public accommodations for the first ti