US Senate narrowly passes $1.9 trillion COVID relief legislation

Senate passes amended version of stimulus bill in 50-49 vote, sending it back to the House for approval next week.

The United States Senate has narrowly passed an amended version of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill, sending the legislation back to the US House of Representatives for final approval. In an around-the-clock session that began on Friday, US legislators worked through a series of amendments on Saturday morning before passing the legislation in a 50-49 vote. Republican and Democratic senators had argued over how long to extend enhanced unemployment benefits for and how much to offer during the pandemic, which has left millions of Americans reeling and battered the country’s economy.