It also features legislation hitching the federal increase in unemployment benefits to economic factors on the ground, thereby precluding the need for Congress to extend those benefits with new legislation down the road.
Sponsored by Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.), head of the Joint Economic Committee, and Derek Kilmer This unprecedented crisis has called for unprecedented action, and it has long been clear that additional aid and stimulus is required to end the pandemic, provide direct support to those in need, ensure a lasting recovery, and prepare for future crises, the lawmakers wrote to Biden, Pelosi and Hoyer.
The letters were spearheaded by the new head of the New Democrats, Rep. Suzan DelBene
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The $1.9 trillion relief proposal is designed to help American workers, businesses and state and local governments impacted by the virus, which has caused millions of job losses. A large chunk of the proposal is also devoted to supporting nationwide testing, a vaccine distribution plan and safe school reopening efforts.
Biden has run into resistance from Republicans as he pushes for the passage of the proposal in a Congress that is narrowly controlled by Democrats. The president has said he’d like to get bipartisan support for the package, but the White House has not ruled out using reconciliation to pass a bill with a slim majority.