The Senate has passed the American Rescue Plan Act -- the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. They made some minor changes to the bill, so it will have to go back to the House of Representatives for another vote. But that shouldn't be a problem, and it's likely that the bill will be on President Biden's desk later this week.
The bill got no support from Republicans, even though a majority of their base supported the bill. All 49 GOP senators present (one had to go home to deal with a personal problem) voted against the bill -- just like every House Republican voted against it when the House passed the bill.
This portends problems in the future in the form of legislative gridlock. This bill was passed because the Democrats were able to use the reconciliation process. But most bills could not be passed that way. That means they would have to have 60 votes because of the filibuster.
The House has passed a huge voting rights bill and a criminal justice reform bill. And in the near future, are expected to pass immigration reform and a health care public option. All of those bills are dead on arrival in the Senate. Democrats would need 10 Republicans to vote with them to bring those bills up for debate and a vote. But Republicans have made it clear they are going to block everything the Democrats try to do.
If Democrats don't eliminate, or radically alter, the filibuster rule, we are looking at two years of gridlock in the United States Congress.
