The partisan victory was made possible by Democrats winning two Senate seats in Georgia special elections in January, giving them narrow control of the chamber. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, however, had harsh words about the measure. The House bill had set the supplemental benefit at $US400 a week, but Senate Democrats finally agreed to knock that down to $US300. The House bill also featured a measure to more than double the minimum wage to $US15 per hour, which the Senate rejected. Senate Democrats used a process called reconciliation to pass the measure with a simple majority rather than the 60 of 100 votes normally required under the chamber's rules.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 06, 2021 23:37 UTC