Harris Breaks Tie to Begin Senate Talks On COVID-19 Stimulus

On Thursday, Senate Democrats voted to begin debate surrounding the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill. The Senate voted 50-50 to advance the bill with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie; no Republicans voted to take up the bill. This comes after a delay in approval from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which would make sure the Senate's bill complied with reconciliation rules -- a budget process that allows the bill to bypass a 60-vote filibuster. The Senate's version of the bill removes the $15 minimum wage increase, and lowers the cutoff for receiving stimulus checks to $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for couples. The Senate will likely debate the bill for several days before it reaches a final vote. Then, the bill will return to the House, which will need to approve any changes made by the Senate. The Senate's decision received coverage across the political spectrum.