Recovery plan in the United States: a tough battle begins for the Democrats in the Senate

US Vice-President Kamala Harris had to intervene, as authorized by the Constitution, to decide the vote authorizing the opening of the debates, because the 50 Democratic senators had voted in favor and the 50 Republicans against.

AP - J. Scott Applewhite

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

After weeks of discussions and fruitless negotiations between the White House, elected Democrats and Republicans to try to reach an agreement on the stimulus plan, the Democratic Party has decided to move forward on this file, even without the support of the preservatives.

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This Thursday, March 4, debates began in the Senate on the stimulus package of 1.9 billion dollars wanted by the Biden administration.

After weeks of procrastination, Democratic senators have finally given up on hoping to see support from a few Republican senators.

The divisions are deep between Democrats and Republicans, as demonstrated by the launch of the debates.

Kamala Harris, the vice-president, had to decide a tie vote as allowed by the Constitution, which does not bode well for the future.

Now, after reading the 628-page text - which should take around ten hours - senators will have 20 hours to debate before a third phase during which amendments can be proposed.

Senators can then demand a vote on each amendment, which risks dragging out the entire process.

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, does not say he is worried.

But time is still running out since the Democrats aim to have this stimulus plan approved by March 14 at the latest, the date which corresponds to the expiry of federal emergency benefits in the event of unemployment.

► To read also

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United States: Joe Biden unveils his stimulus plan of 1.9 billion dollars

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