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senate Bill S. Con. Res. 5

Senate Democrats’ Resolution to Use Budget Reconciliation for a $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill

Argument in favor

Congress needs to move quickly to enact legislation providing additional COVID relief to struggling Americans. Democrats should give themselves the option of passing President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief bill along party-lines through budget reconciliation in case negotiations on a bipartisan compromise take too long.

Claire's Opinion

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02/05/2021

Funny how you used budget reconciliation to give yourselves and other millionaires tax breaks but only worry about the budget when money goes to the people hurting economically . Guess we know what your priorities really are.

Like (63)

jimK's Opinion

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02/05/2021

The cost of rebuilding a collapsed economy is way more expensive than buying some insurance now to prevent it. The humanitarian costs of lives lost, destroyed family futures, rebuilding a tax base and re-establishing the foundation of an empowered workforce are too great to risk too low of an economic stimulus/recovery effort. With the financial collapse ten years ago, Republicans ranted and raved that the planned stimulus funds were way too much, got them reduced and were still arguing that they were too great. Numerous economic studies have shown that the reduced stimulus delayed economic recovery which would have occurred three times faster with the initially planned stimulus. A super majority of economists have indicated that the costs of not stimulating the economy and protecting our vulnerable are far greater and more consequential than risks associated with over-stimulating the economic recovery. The trump’s own FED has been warning for months that the stimulus proposed is needed to prevent collapse of economic infrastructures that would have to be re-established at much greater costs. … … … The Republican Party has been consistently wrong on stimulus funding, their recommendations run counter to everyone whose life’s work has been to understand these things, they run counter to the will of 70% of the people and the majority of Republicans. These are the same folks who saw no problem awarding themselves and their wealthy benefactors the same amount of taxpayer dollars in tax cuts that went straight into their pockets annually and did nothing for the overall economy. … … So who would any rational person trust? The people with an actual plan based on a strategic and comprehensive overview, the will of the people and the support of knowledgeable experts - or - the people who offer nothing new beyond obstructionism and worry about a strategic investment in the future with a great ROI that’s costs as much in the short term as the annually recurring costs of their raping the treasury for their self-beneficial tax cuts? … … … Push the bill through, it is needed. And tell of party of NO ideas outside of obstruction and obfuscation to just push it where the sun don’t shine.

Like (52)

Natalyah's Opinion

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02/05/2021

Hyde-Smith and Wicker have always acted against the interests of low income and minority individuals. COVID is disproportionately affecting Black, Brown, and Indigenous people so it is to be expected that they [racist capitalists] would even consider delaying much needed aid.

Like (41)

Argument opposed

By giving themselves the ability to use budget reconciliation to pass a COVID relief bill on a strictly partisan basis, Democrats are showing that they have no intention of negotiating in good faith in the same manner that a bipartisan majority did in the last Congress when five COVID relief bills were enacted with broad support.

npuzar's Opinion

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02/04/2021

They need to find a way to get this done together, and as much as it pains me to say it congressman Jim Jordan is correct “the best stimulus is a paycheck.”

Like (26)

John's Opinion

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02/05/2021

To much ‘pork’ in the package. Taxpayers money not being spent wisely.

Like (16)

David 's Opinion

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02/05/2021

Loop hole budgeting is never a good governance decision.

Like (11)

What is Senate Bill S. Con. Res. 5?

This budget resolution would implement the reconciliation process and establish a budgetary target for House committees to draft coronavirus (COVID-19) relief legislation that would increase the deficit by a total of $1.9 trillion. It isn’t structured in the same way as a typical budget resolution, which would serve as a fiscal blueprint for the decade, as it is primarily intended to give Congress the ability to use reconciliation for a COVID-19 relief bill. A breakdown of how it would allocate the $1.9 trillion among committees can be found below.

The resolution would set the following deficit increase targets for committees’ reconciliation legislation:

Agriculture: $23 billion
Banking: $89 billion
Commerce: $36 billion
Environment & Public Works: $3 billion
Finance: $1.296 trillion
Foreign Relations: $10 billion
Health, Education, Labor & Pensions: $305 billion
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs: $51 billion
Indian Affairs: $9 billion
Small Business: $50 billion
Veterans Affairs: $17 billion
The reconciliation directives would total $1.889 trillion.

If adopted by both chambers of Congress, this legislation would allow congressional committees to report legislation to the Budget Committee, which would compile an omnibus reconciliation bill including the provisions that increase the deficit by $1.9 trillion. That bill would have to satisfy reconciliation rules, would be subject to amendment on the floor of each chamber, and could pass the Senate with a simple majority without being subject to the legislative filibuster.

ADOPTED AMENDMENTS

Bipartisan Panels to Improve Solvency of Federal Programs - Romney #803: Offered by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), this amendment would create bipartisan congressional committees to improve the solvency of federal trust fund programs. Adopted 71-29.
Health Savings Accounts - Lee #253: Offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), this amendment would expand health savings accounts. Adopted 53-47.
Oil Imports & Environmental Standards - Murkowski #806: Offered by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), this amendment would prohibit actions that make the U.S. more reliant on oil imports from countries with weaker environmental standards. Adopted by voice vote.
COVID Spending Transparency - Portman #816: Offered by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), this amendment would require the creation of a website showing expenditure of COVID funds. Adopted by voice vote.
Prohibiting a Federal Carbon Tax - Hoeven #887: Offered by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), this amendment would prohibit a federal carbon tax in the budget process. Not adopted 50-50.
Permanent Tax Cuts for Individuals & Small Businesses - Crapo #55: Offered by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), this amendment would permanently extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s lower rates for individual and small businesses under the budget. Not adopted 50-50.
Federal Aid Equal Treatment of Houses of Worship - Lankford #837: Offered by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), this amendment would require state and local governments to provide equal treatment for houses of worship in accessing federal relief funds. Adopted 51-49.
Preserving Navigable Waters Protection Rule - Capito #655: Offered by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), this amendment would preserve the Navigable Waters Protection Rule under the budget resolution. Adopted 51-49.
Prohibiting Efforts to Defund the Police - Cornyn #558: Offered by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), this amendment would establish a fund to prohibit the defunding of the police. Adopted 100-0.
Supporting the Keystone XL Pipeline - Daines #678: Offered by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), this amendment would seek to improve relations between the U.S. and Canada by supporting the Keystone XL pipeline. Adopted 52-48.
No Federal Minimum Wage Hike to $15 During COVID - Ernst #767: Offered by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), this amendment would prohibit the increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 during a global pandemic. Adopted by voice vote.
U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem - Inhofe #786: Offered by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), this amendment would require that the U.S. Embassy to Israel remains in Jerusalem. Adopted 97-3.
Support for Hospitality & Entertainment - Cortez Masto #853: Offered by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), this amendment would provide support for the hospitality and entertainment industries. Adopted by voice vote.
No Regulatory Fracking Ban - Braun #833: Offered by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), this amendment would prohibit the Council on Environmental Quality and the EPA from banning fracking. Adopted 57-43.
Domestic & Sexual Violence Prevention - Shaheen #834: Offered by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), this amendment would aim to improve services and interventions related to sexual assault, in addition to family and dating violence. Adopted 100-0.
Support for Rural Hospitals - Collins #546: Offered by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), this amendment would include a 20% set aside for rural hospitals in the Provider Relief Fund. Adopted 99-1.
Relief for Schools in Energy Producing Regions - Barrasso #653: Offered by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), this amendment would provide relief funding to school districts that have lost tax revenue due to a moratorium on oil and gas leasing. Adopted 98-2.
COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness - Cardin #716: Offered by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), this amendment would fund a COVID-19 vaccine administration and a public awareness campaign. Adopted 100-0.
Targeting Relief Payments to Low- and Middle-Income Americans - Manchin #775: Offered by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-ME), this amendment would impose limits to prevent COVID economic impact payments from going to upper-income taxpayers. Adopted 99-1.
No COVID Payments to Unauthorized Immigrants - Young #54: Offered by Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), this amendment would prohibit unauthorized immigrants from receiving economic impact payments or other direct payments from the federal government. Adopted 58-42.
Pandemic Worker Tax Relief - Thune #52: Offered by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Rob Portman (R-OH), this amendment would extend tax relief to remote workers and others who work across state lines by limiting the ability of states and other taxing jurisdictions to tax such income. Adopted by voice vote.
Blocking Small Business Tax Hike During Pandemic - Rubio #69: Offered by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and James Lankford (R-OK), this amendment would prohibit legislation to increase taxes on small businesses while a national emergency related to a pandemic has been declared. Adopted 100-0.
Pandemic Grants for Bars & Restaurants - Wicker #261: Offered by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), this amendment would establish federal grants for bars and restaurants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopted 90-10.

Impact

Congressional committees; and members of Congress.

Cost of Senate Bill S. Con. Res. 5

As a budget resolution, this bill would not authorize any spending.

More Information

In-Depth: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) offered the following remarks on the introduction of this budget resolution that would allow the reconciliation process to be used for $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief legislation:

“We want this entire effort to be bipartisan — we do. But helping the American people with the big, bold relief they need, that is job number one. That is job number one. So again: we’re not going to dilute, dither, or delay because the demands of the American people are so real and so large. We need to think big and think quickly.”

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) countered in floor remarks on Wednesday that Democrats are abandoning the bipartisanship which led to the enactment of five COVID relief bills last year:

“In the past year, Congress has worked together to pass five major rescue packages on a bipartisan basis. The Democratic Leader spent months saying that any pandemic relief should pass with broad, bipartisan support. He said last July, quote, ‘sitting in your own office, writing a bill, and then demanding the other side support it is not anyone’s idea of bipartisanship.’ But yesterday, less than a day after several Senate Republicans spent two hours meeting with President Biden, Senate Democrats plowed ahead with a party-line vote to set the table for a partisan jam. The new President talks a lot about unity, but his White House staff and Congressional leadership are working from the opposite playbook.”

Media:

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: mdfriendofhillary via Flickr / Creative Commons)

AKA

A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2021 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2022 through 2030.

Official Title

concurrent resolution Progress

The house has not voted
The senate Passed February 5th, 2021
Roll Call Vote 50 Yea / 50 Nay
IntroducedFebruary 2nd, 2021

Bill Data

Issues

Sponsor

Sen Bernard Sanders

(I - VT)

0 Cosponsors

Introduced 02/02/2021

Full text of Bill

Claire's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

Like (63)

npuzar's Opinion Against

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02/04/2021

They need to find a way to get this done together, and as much as it pains me to say it congressman Jim Jordan is correct “the best stimulus is a paycheck.”

Like (26)

Gail's Public Comment

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02/05/2021

Pass the bill. Bipartisan? Were you watching the past 4 years? The Rep have frequently left a mess for Dems to handle. This is nothing new. With the country and so many people in financial crisis, it is time to step in. Yes, because we need to spend the money now, we will have to pay higher taxes. AND it's time the wealthy Reps and corporations pay their fair share. My husband and I make less that 100k a year and we pay more taxes than #45 paid to the US IRS and more than many companies. And many of those mega-companies don't pay a living wage to their employees. Pass the bill and pass the bill to the mega rich. Change the tax laws. Let everyone pay social security without a ceiling for the rich.

Like (53)

jimK's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

Like (52)

Natalyah's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

Like (41)

Mary's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

The country is hurting. time is now for support. don’t wait for GOP to catch up.

Like (34)

Robert's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

In an economy rigged for the wealthy average folks need help

Like (31)

larubia's Public Comment

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02/05/2021

@npuzar you quote Jim Jordan? “Paychecks are the best stimulus checks.” Where are those paychecks? Big corporations got the tax breaks, subsidies, and bailouts. None of that has translated into a significant increase in jobs. People are out of work/struggling to get by because this pandemic is NOT under control. tRump, Jordan & the like are the reason COVID-19 was not taken seriously. THEY are the reason for the subsequent high unemployment rate, the high infection & death rate, the growing food lines, the increase in suicides, etc. The stimulus checks come from taxpayers. I would rather those dollars go to people & services that directly help the American public and NOT into the hands of big business...where we wait for the trickle down...while CEO’s get their bonuses and the company buys back stock. WTFU

Like (31)

Terri's Public Comment

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02/05/2021

I see my 2 senators voted against helping the American people in the midst of this pandemic. So Sen Rubio and Scott can spout all they want...they voted for the tax cut for the 1% and now are voting against helping the people..you know, the ones they are supposed to represent. In the name of balancing the budget...as the economy collapses, as people die from Covid..as the vaccine rollout has been a disaster. We cannot do too little for the American people. They must step up...We must shore up the people until we get to the other side of this pandemic and at least 80% of the population is vaccinated.

Like (20)

Charles's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

For to long Republicans have only looked after the rich and neglected the middle class and the poor except to suck the needed funds out of them in order to feed those above them. It is way past time that the needs of those below them are finally met and cared for, not only for now but for the future as well and a more even and balance scale is created in our society. I know that I may be asking to much, but none the less it would be a beginning of really having what would be that promise of THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE PROUD FOR ALL..

Like (20)

Mike's Public Comment

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02/05/2021

Clearly, ONE PARTY CARES ABOUT WE THE PEOPLE! The other only gives to the WEALTHY, APPALLING.

Like (17)

John's Opinion Against

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02/05/2021

To much ‘pork’ in the package. Taxpayers money not being spent wisely.

Like (16)

John's Public Comment

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02/05/2021

Senators Cornyn and Cruz... Voting against the People is wrong. You continue to be against your Constituents’ interests and are bad for an America in a crisis of your making by not stopping the lunacy of the former President’s policies.

Like (16)

Joe's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

We need our representatives to represent the “we the people” not we the corporations/lobbyists! This should be by bipartisan period, not political grandstanding!

Like (13)

TheDarkSide's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

Get it done!

Like (12)

Erin's Opinion In Favor

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02/05/2021

Go big or go home! Congress needs to act! Thank you Senator Sherrod Brown for working for Ohioans. No thank you to Senator Portman who has no problem fining tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations, bit does not work fir the vast majority of Ohioans. Shameful.

Like (11)