What's in Democrats' coronavirus relief bill
House Democrats on Friday unveiled the final version of their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
In the past few weeks, Democrat-led House committees have been workshopping their priorities for the first relief bill of the Biden administration. The House Budget Committee has since combined the provisions into one massive bill, dubbed the American Rescue Plan of 2021. It contains many measures Democrats have been talking about for weeks, including:
- $1,400 stimulus checks for any adult making $75,000 or less per year
- A framework to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15/hour, and hike it from $7.25 to $9.50 as soon as the bill is passed
- Extending a $400/week unemployment boost through Aug. 29
- $10 billion in funding for small businesses
- A $3,000 Child Tax Credit — $3,600 for children under six
- $219 billion for states, territories, and tribal governments to patch budget shortfalls during the pandemic
- $6 billion for indigenous health care
The committee will take a vote on the bill Monday, and it's expected to face the whole House next week. Because Democrats raised the relief bill as part of a Budget Reconciliation, they'll only need a simple majority in the House and Senate to pass it. Still, Sen. Kirsten Synema (D-Ariz.) remains a possible holdup for the bill over her opposition to the minimum wage hike.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
The art world and motherhood: the end of a final taboo?
Talking Point Hettie Judah's new touring exhibition offers a 'riveting riposte' to old cliches
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Musk's reliance on China draws rising scrutiny'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Biba: the story of a 'legendary emporium'
The Week Recommends Brand's 60th anniversary is being marked with retrospective celebrating the 'iconic shop's cultural importance'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Immigration helped the US economy outpace peers
speed read The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.2% last quarter
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
4-day workweek gets boost from UK study
Speed Read Following a six-month trial, the majority of participating British companies are still using the truncated schedule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Nvidia sees historic stock rise on AI chips success
Speed Read U.S. chipmaker Nvidia achieved the biggest one-day increase in value of any company in history
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published