The Senate approved a budget resolution early Friday morning to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief package without any support from Republicans.
After hours of amendments in the Senate’s all-night vote-a-rama on the budget resolution, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote on the final amendment from Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), The Hill reports.
“The yays are 50. The nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative. And the concurrent resolution as amended is adopted,” she declared on Friday.
The resolution includes instructions for crafting the coronavirus stimulus bill under reconciliation, which will allow Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposal to bypass a 60-vote filibuster in the Senate.
The House is expected to adopt the measure later Friday which set aside room for $1.9 trillion in deficit spending to provide financial aid to millions of Americans and states to help combat the pandemic.
Biden and Harris are set to meet Friday morning with House Democratic leaders and committee chairs to discuss the next steps for the stimulus, Politico reports.
