US Senate approves $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill

A citizen receives a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Thornton, Colorado, on Saturday. Pic/AFP

The US Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on Saturday as President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums.

After labouring through the night on a mountain of amendments, nearly all from Republicans and rejected, bleary-eyed senators approved the sprawling package on a 50-49 party-line vote. That sets up final congressional approval by the House next week so lawmakers can send it to Biden for his signature.

"We tell the American people, help is on the way," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Citing the country's desire to resume normalcy, he added, "Our job right now is to help our country get from this stormy present to that hopeful future."

The huge package, its total spending is nearly one-tenth the size of the entire US economy, is Biden's biggest early priority. It stands as his formula for addressing the deadly virus and a limping economy, twin crises that have afflicted the country for a year. Biden and his Democrats have a slim 10-vote edge in the House.

The bill provides direct payments of up to $1,400 for most Americans, extended emergency unemployment benefits, and vast piles of spending for COVID-19 vaccines and testing, states and cities, schools and ailing industries, along with tax breaks to help lower-earning people, families with children and consumers buying health insurance.

"The Senate has never spent $2 trillion in a more haphazard way," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The measure follows five earlier ones totaling about $4 trillion that Congress has enacted since last spring and comes amid signs of a potential turnaround.

German lawmaker to resign over mask deal
Berlin: A lawmaker with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, Christian Democratic Union, said on Sunday he will give up his seat in parliament and leave politics after it emerged that his firm profited from deals to buy masks in the pandemic. Nikolas Loebel was blasted by his own party colleagues and opponents after it was found that his company earned commissions of $2,98,000 from brokering contracts to buy masks.

Swiss cops fire tear gas at feminist rally
Zurich: The police in Zurich on Saturday fired tear gas on participants of a feminist rally on the eve of International Women's Day, and arrested two demonstrators. According to a report by Sputnik, the police had warned people that mass events are banned in Switzerland amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As demonstrators gathered in different parts of the city, the police used tear gas to stop their advancement. Less than 100 people had participated in the protest, said the police.

4,78,614
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

11,66,39,024
Total no. of cases worldwide

25,90,159
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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