U.S. - Page 57

The US Senate concluded a marathon voting session on Saturday, passing President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill 50-49 with all democrats for and all republicans against. The vote wrapped up a days-long process of debate and deliberation over the relief package. The measure now returns to the House of Representatives for another vote before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk for final approval.

On Thursday, the US Senate is set to begin debate on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The House of Representatives passed a version of the aid bill on February 27.

The Capitol building in Washington, DC, was blocked off and placed on high alert on Thursday, according to multiple reports, following intelligence warnings of a possible plot to breach the building inspired by the QAnon conspiracy theory.

The Democratic-controlled House is expected to pass the package, which includes $1,400 personal checks and a $400-a-week federal unemployment bonus, on Friday or early Saturday. On Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that a minimum wage hike, supported by President Biden, cannot be included in the bill.

The House of Representatives voted 224-206 on Thursday to pass the Equality Act, which aims to expand civil rights for LGBTQ Americans and ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

On Thursday it was confirmed that hours after the US Supreme Court denied former president Donald Trump’s bid to block Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance from enforcing a subpoena for his tax returns, the documents were turned over.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court denied former president Donald Trump’s bid to block Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance from enforcing a subpoena for his tax returns. Trump had previously attempted to shield a grand jury from reviewing his tax records.

Senator Ted Cruz returned to Texas from Cancún on Thursday after he was spotted boarding a plane to Mexico with his family. After he released an initial statement, saying that he accompanied his daughters on the trip while school was canceled for the week, he issued a subsequent statement, calling the trip a “mistake.”

At a town hall hosted by CNN on Tuesday night, Biden expressed reluctance in forgiving up to $50,000 in federal student loans, saying, “I will not make that happen.” On Wednesday, Democratic leaders pushed back on Biden’s statement and said they will continue to pressure the US president on this subject.