U.S. House Passes $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill

The House of Representatives passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, which includes a $15 federal minimum wage mandate, early Saturday morning. House Democrats passed the bill with a 219-212 vote, with two Democrats joining every Republican in voting against it. The bill includes a third round of $1,400 stimulus checks, a $400 weekly unemployment insurance boost through Aug. 29, and $8.5 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. It would also include $350 billion for state and local governments, $130 billion for school reopenings, and an expansion of the child tax credit to $3,000 per child. Though the Senate ruled Thursday that the minimum wage provision was not compliant with Congress' rules governing the budget process, the House bill currently includes the minimum wage mandate. The bill will now move on to the Senate, where the bill will be amended and the Democratic majority will likely face pressure over the minimum wage increase. After that, it will be sent back to the House for approval before unemployment insurance benefits expire on March 14. The bill received wide coverage from outlets across the political spectrum. Outlets from all sides of the political spectrum analyzed potential obstacles the bill might face in the Senate.