Stimulus Vote-O-Rama Set To Kick Off Friday Afternoon
After a no-bedtime reading of the 628-page relief bill, courtesy of Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, senators brace for the meaningful portion of the deliberations: hours of debate and votes on amendments that will shape the final package, set to begin midday Friday.
Roll Call:
Senate In For Another Long Night, And Day, On Pandemic Relief
The Senate planned to begin voting on amendments to a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package Friday after clerks pull an all-nighter reading the text of the 628-page measure aloud on the floor. The insistence of a reading by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., ensured a slow start to deliberations on a mammoth coronavirus aid package that Republicans appeared to uniformly oppose. (Lerman, 3/4)
NBC News:
GOP Sen. Johnson Delays Covid Relief Bill By Forcing All 628 Pages To Be Read Out Loud
A Republican senator severely delayed passage of a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package Thursday by insisting that the entire 628-page bill be read out loud. In protest of the bill, which had been expected to pass after a marathon round of votes overnight Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., objected to waiving the reading of the legislation. (Clark, 3/4)
The Hill:
Ron Johnson Grinds Senate To Halt, Irritating Many
It is just the latest step by Johnson, who is up for reelection in a state narrowly won by Biden, to burnish his Trump credentials, whether that’s by repeating unfounded theories about the Jan. 6 attack or becoming the face of GOP opposition to the coronavirus bill that is broadly popular even among Republicans. (Carney, 3/4)
CNN:
Covid-19 Relief Plan: Here's What's In The Senate Stimulus Bill
The $1.9 trillion coronavirus package being considered by the Senate contains a wide range of proposals to help Americans still struggling with the economic fallout of the pandemic. The legislation, released Thursday, differs in at least two major ways from the bill that passed the House of Representatives last week. The final Senate package will have to be approved again by the House before it can be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature. (Luhby and Lobosco, 3/4)
In related news about covid's economic toll —
The Hill:
Jobs Report To Provide First Measure Of Biden Economy
The first monthly jobs report covering the Biden presidency will be released Friday morning as congressional Democrats race to pass a massive economic relief package. Economists expect the February jobs report to show a modest rebound in hiring as progress against COVID-19 boosted confidence in a quicker end to the pandemic. Analysts estimate that U.S. employers added 180,000 jobs last month — a pace that’s not nearly fast enough to quickly fill the hole left by COVID-19, but better than January’s meager addition of 49,000 jobs. (Lane, 3/4)
CBS News:
Low-Wage Workers Bearing The Brunt Of The COVID Recession
Steve Roth has more homeless Americans to help now than he did during the Great Recession over a decade ago, he tells Scott Pelley. The retired firefighter and EMT says the pandemic has increased the number of people living in the encampments around Columbus, Ohio, that he has been providing food and medical aid to for 22 years. Roth talks to Pelley for a report on the disproportionate economic impact the pandemic is taking on the country's low-wage workers to be broadcast on 60 Minutes, Sunday, March 7 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The economic impact of the pandemic not only cost them their jobs – often in restaurants, hotels and small retailers – but also shuttered many of the places offering the things they needed to get by, says Roth. (3/4)
CNN:
State Finances: Pandemic Budget Hit For Many Was Smaller Than Predicted
When the coronavirus pandemic was declared nearly a year ago, the future for state and local government finances looked grim. Millions of people had lost their jobs, the stock market tanked and governors ordered nonessential businesses to close -- all of which threatened to pummel many of the tax revenue streams states and municipalities rely on. Now, the picture appears rosier than many states and localities had feared. State tax revenues, on average, have not fallen as much as initially predicted, and several economic forecasters have ratcheted down their estimates of budget shortfalls. The situation, however, varies widely, with states dependent on tourism or oil -- like Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota and Nevada -- faring worst. (Luhby, 3/5)
