LIVE: Senate Debates Biden's $1.9 Trillion Covid Stimulus Ahead of Planned Vote

(Mar. 3) Watch live as the U.S. Senate debates President Joe Biden's $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan to ease the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the U.S. economy on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

Biden urged Democrats Tuesday to quickly resolve lingering disputes over his $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, with moderates including Senator Joe Manchin pushing to lower unemployment benefits and progressives already upset by the jettisoning of a $15 minimum wage.

Biden joined a virtual lunchtime meeting with Senate Democrats hosted by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and emphasized the need to put aside differences and pass the bill quickly -- with recognition that the special budget process they are using can’t accomplish every goal, according to lawmakers on the call.

“He wants us to stay focused on getting it done, and that we all have to understand that reconciliation has its limits,” said Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin.

Schumer is hoping to bring the mammoth spending package to the floor of his chamber for debate as soon as Wednesday, and pass it this week. A failure would be a huge blow for Democrats and the Biden administration.

“We’ll have the votes we need to pass this bill,” Schumer confidently predicted after the Biden call.

The discussion itself didn’t resolve any substantive issues, however, and less than 24 hours before Democrats want to put the stimulus bill to the Senate floor, the party was still wrestling with demands for changes by senators from less liberal states.

Manchin of West Virginia and Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said they want to pare down some of the bill’s provisions, including the weekly pandemic unemployment benefit set to expire March 14 and the income cap for stimulus checks.

Manchin and Shaheen told reporters they want to keep the current, $300-a-week, supplemental unemployment benefit, rather than boosting it to $400 as backed by Biden and passed by the House. Other senators have also discussed redirecting some of the $350 billion to state and local governments to other priorities like broadband internet.

“It doesn’t incentivize people,” Manchin said of the higher jobless benefit. “We want people to get back to work. We’re going to have a hard time getting people ready to go back in and keep the economy going. It would be awful if we open the doors and we have no one working.”

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