What's in Joe Biden's 'American Rescue Plan'?

Democrats in Congress are racing to meet a mid-March deadline for President Biden's coronavirus relief package before existing benefits like enhanced unemployment insurance expire.

The package includes some elements, such as a $15 minimum wage, that might not survive intraparty negotiations or Senate rules.

The size of the package has stayed the same since it was unveiled by President-elect Biden during the transition period, and after he rebuffed a proposal by a group of 10 Republicans who argued for a $618 billion bill.

The Biden administration says the package is the right size and that the economy needs relief on that scale in order to bring down real unemployment rates that the Federal Reserve estimates to be around 10%-accounting for misclassifications in government data and people who have exited the labor force-and to alleviate the economic hardship faced by millions whose lives and jobs have been disrupted.

Republicans have pointed to falling infection rates and unspent funds from previous relief packages as a reason to wait on any further stimulus.

The House package would extend the benefits until Aug. 29 and bump up the weekly amount to $400. What is included for vaccines and testing?

The package contains tens of billions to facilitate the vaccine rollout.

The package makes a significant change to the social safety net through the tax code that could have an impact on child poverty rates and potentially form a pillar of Mr. Biden's economic legacy.

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years and gradually eliminating the tipped wage is perhaps the most contentious part of the package among Senate Democrats.

Mr. Biden has publicly expressed his doubts that the wage increase will be included in the final package, but Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders disagrees, saying he feels confident the measure can remain in the legislation.

Like Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, have pointed to the effect that the package will have on federal budget deficits, and she and others have favored a more narrowly tailored bill that would facilitate the vaccine rollout and provide less-generous stimulus checks and unemployment benefits.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/stimulus-package-biden-covid-19-11614095748?mod=hp_lead_pos11