Tag: COVID-19 economic relief bill

Phillips Backs Popular American Rescue Plan, Relief for American Workers, Families, Small Businesses and Cities Passes House

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WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a COVID-19 relief package which passed the House early this morning. The plan is supported by a large, bipartisan majority of Americans and makes emergency investments in schools, families, unemployed workers, vaccine distribution, small businesses and local governments.

While the House bill seeks to raise the federal hourly minimum wage to $15, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled yesterday that the provision cannot be included in the Senate companion. Phillips has expressed concern about the inclusion of such a transformative policy in a COVID relief bill by means of budget reconciliation, and convened a House Small Business Oversight Subcommittee hearing this week to begin working on a bipartisan proposal that can pass through Congress and achieve the trifecta of livable wages, more jobs, and thriving small businesses. Watch the hearing here. 

“Thousands of Minnesotans have reached out to my offices to demand action and ask for help,” said Phillips. “We must answer the call and deliver a strong bill that meets the moment. The American Rescue Plan is imperfect, but I believe it’s in our common interest to resource vaccinations, schools, local governments, small businesses, families, and unemployed workers during this once-in-a-lifetime crisis.”

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Congress passes massive coronavirus relief and government spending package

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The House and Senate passed a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill and a $1.4 trillion government funding measure Monday night after months of gridlock on Capitol Hill.

Why it matters: The bill’s passage comes before many of the existing coronavirus relief measures were set to expire on January 1. It also staves off a government shutdown.

The big picture: While the plan is roughly half the size of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act Congress passed in March, it is still one of the most expensive rescue packages in modern history. Continue reading.

Phillips, Problem Solvers Lead Break-Through Compromise to Deliver Needed Aid to American Families and Small Businesses


Rep. Phillips calls for more aid for firefighters, police, first responders and state and local governments ahead of a long winter

WASHINGTON, DC. – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) praised the passage of a bipartisan emergency relief package to help American families and small businesses struggling during the most devastating public health emergency in modern American history. 

Last week, Phillips and Problem Solvers Caucus (PSC) members from the House of Representatives joined a bipartisan group of Senators – including Mitt Romney (R-UT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) – to release a framework for the compromise passed today. This is the culmination of months of work, led by the PSC Co-Chairs, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Tom Reed (R-NY), along with Reps. Dean Phillips and Dusty Johnson (R-SD), who released a “March to Common Ground” framework in September and have pushed leaders from both parties to cast partisan politics aside and come together for the American people.

Continue reading “Phillips, Problem Solvers Lead Break-Through Compromise to Deliver Needed Aid to American Families and Small Businesses”

D.C. Memo: Dean of the Problem Solvers

This week: House Republicans back a last-ditch election lawsuit; Omar softens her tone while Phillips toughens his.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the D.C. Memo. This week: House Republicans back a last-ditch election lawsuit; Omar softens her tone while Phillips toughens his. But first, a brief plea: MinnPost is a nonprofit news organization that relies on support from our readers for a big portion of our budget. If you value the D.C. Memo, or even if it’s just a hate-read for you, please consider becoming a member now.Alright, here we go!

Mitch, please

Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, about to become the most powerful Republican in Washington, acknowledged Joseph R. Biden’s win in the presidential election — more than a month after votes were cast. McConnell congratulated Biden Tuesday, a day after Electoral College voters cast their votes affirming the election results.

Late last week, before the Electoral College had certified the vote, Minnesota’s GOP delegation in the House of Representatives got behind a quixotic Texas lawsuit intended to upend the election. Reps. Jim Hagedorn and Peter Stauber joined Tom Emmer in backing an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit, which sought to invalidate 62 of Biden’s Electoral College votes in four swing states. In a prepared statement, Hagedorn, who represents the rural First District, said, “Election laws across several states were amended or suspended in the closing months of the 2020 election by acts of state officials and courts, not state legislatures.” He said the U.S. Supreme Court should consider the case “to ensure that all U.S. citizens are treated fairly and the election was conducted in accordance with state laws.” Alas, the measure, which was signed by a total of 126 House Republicans, was thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Bipartisan group seizes spotlight, and more clout

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The clout of a bipartisan group of lawmakers aimed at forging consensus is on the rise. 

With the House expected to have its most narrow Democratic margin of control in decades, members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus see the group’s influence growing exponentially in the next Congress. And its members are looking to flex their strength in pushing for policies that can pass both chambers. 

The bipartisan group of roughly 50 members, which is co-chaired by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), has played a leading role in moving the needle on COVID-19 relief negotiations after a months-long stalemate. Continue reading.

Pelosi bullish on COVID-19 relief: ‘We cannot leave without it’

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed optimism Friday that the parties will come together to secure a coronavirus relief package before Congress leaves Washington for the winter holidays.

Addressing reporters in the Capitol, the Speaker said party negotiators still have a number of disagreements to iron out to win such an agreement, but indicated the sides are making steady progress and all but guaranteed that a bipartisan deal will be sealed in the coming days.

“We’ll take the time we need and we must get it done,” Pelosi said. “We cannot leave without it.” Continue reading.

House approves $2.2T COVID-19 relief bill as White House talks stall

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House Democrats on Thursday approved a massive, $2.2 trillion package of coronavirus relief, lending political cover to party centrists in tough races while putting fresh pressure on Senate Republicans to move another round of emergency aid before the coming elections.

The vote arrived only after last-ditch negotiations between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday failed to yield a bipartisan agreement — and it sent a signal that the prospects for such a deal before Nov. 3 have dimmed considerably.

The bill was approved by a tally of 214 to 207, but to secure passage, Pelosi and her leadership team had to stave off a late revolt from a surprisingly large number of centrists who were furious that Pelosi had staged a vote on a bill with no chance of becoming law. Continue reading.

Republican Senators Tout Enhanced Unemployment Benefits They Opposed

Last week, 47 Republican senators and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia voted to make unemployment benefits less generous in the coronavirus relief legislation.

Although their amendment to cap unemployment insurance was unsuccessful, several Republican senators spent the next few days bragging about the more generous benefits in the final bill.

Arizona Sen. Martha McSally

On March 26, McSally’s office sent an email touting the robust benefits she opposed just three earlier. The stimulus bill “makes benefits more generous by adding $600 per week on top of what the state normally pays in unemployment and provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits,” the email said. “And provisions will ensure state and local governments and non-profits can pay unemployment to their employees.” Continue reading.