Partisan divide over the COVID-19 Relief Bill

It has been almost a year since our lives came to a screeching halt. Suddenly working from home was the new normal, toilet paper was stripped from the shelves, Insta-cart was a necessity and watching Tiger King became a nightly ritual. Yet, millions of Americans remain unemployed and deal with the repercussions of the on-going coronavirus pandemic and there has been a tragic 500,000 deaths. 

The significant partisan divide in Congress has not been favorable to Americans. Democrats pushing for one version of a relief bill—while the Republicans have a slightly different vision which has been a constant trend. The back and forth arguing and the difficulty to compromise is only hurting the constituents more. 

Back in December, Congress passed a 900 billion dollar relief bill that included stimulus checks containing $600 per adult that met the income standards and the same amount for children, according to NPR. The bill also provided an extension of unemployment insurance benefit enhancements of $300 a week; along with money designated to rental assistance, extending the eviction ban, providing assistance to struggling small businesses and helping those dealing with food insecurity. The bill also appropriated 68 billion for vaccine distribution and testing for COVID-19.

On Feb. 26, the House of Representatives passed a new relief bill that totaled 1.9 trillion dollars due to the nearing expiration dates of key unemployment programs and benefits. This new stimulus bill will extend unemployment programs through the summer to Aug. 29. According to CNBC, eligible benefit recipients that make under 75,000 a year will receive $1,400 direct checks and an additional $400 per week as an unemployment bonus. Those who are self-employed will receive $100 a week if they meet specific requirements. 

One of the standout inclusions of this bill was raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. While Democrats continued to push for this, despite backlash from the GOP, the Senate parliamentarian issued that it cannot be included at the moment if the budget reconciliation process is used according to CBS. The bill passed with a 219-212 vote; not a single house Republican voted for the bill. 

This bill supports both Biden’s and the Democrats agendas, but Republicans are not in favor of it. They argued and attempted to kill the bill, but it passed in the Senate due to the tie-breaking vote from VP Kamala Harris. It then went to President Biden where he signed the relief bill into effect.

Article by Mia Kauffman of Quince Orchard High School

Graphic by Khanh Nguyen of Richard Montgomery High School