Democrats’ Go-It-Alone Stimulus Plan Faces Night of GOP Sniping
- ‘Vote-a-rama’ floor slog could go into early hours of Friday
- A parade of amendments could set up politically tricky votes
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The Senate embarks Thursday on a late-night frenzy of mostly nonbinding votes as part of a process that will allow Democrats to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic-relief plan without needing any Republican support.
Any senator can offer amendments to the budget resolution that paves the way for the actual stimulus bill. In this “vote-a-rama” most measures will be symbolic votes unrelated to pandemic relief, giving both parties the opportunity to force politically fraught votes on issues including immigration, abortion and climate change without actually affecting the eventual coronavirus-related bill.