"There is some bipartisanship to change the bill, but apparently that's an unpardonable sin on the other side."-Senate Budget Ranking Member Graham on today's delays in COVID-19 relief bill vote-a-rama, lasting more than five hours while talks continue on the next amendments.
Graham (R-SC): "We believe we have some Democrats who read the bill yesterday and found some things they didn’t like, sat down with some Republicans to find a better way. And the result is, we've done nothing for four hours and 20 minutes to break somebody's political arm."
Graham (R-SC) to President Biden: "You could pick up the phone and end this right now, by leading us to a compromise on unemployment insurance...I wish you would do it instead of trying to break apart bipartisanship. Try to bring us together. That's my challenge."
Thune:"It's almost 5 1/2hrs since last vote started.And because there was an amdt we were prepared to offer that actually had bipartisan support,Democrats have gone back behind closed doors,& tried to get the President on the line to pressure a couple of people not to work w/Rs."
Minority Whip Thune on today's COVID-19 relief bill vote-a-rama delays: "We're stuck right now where we are and I hope that this is not a sign of things to come, but I do feel really bad for those Democrats who have tried to work, reach out and work with Republicans."
Thune: "We're going to do everything we can to try to improve this bill. We hope Democrats will let us vote on the Portman amendment. The unemployment insurance is an important issue, but one that needs to be handled in a way that encourages people to go back to work."
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Schumer announces from Senate floor: "The agreement that's been reached will allow us to move forward with the American Rescue Plan and voting will resume shortly."
Schumer: "Now that this agreement has been reached, we're going to power through the rest of the process and get this bill done."
McConnell parliamentary inquiry to Durbin presiding:"How much total time elapsed during the floor vote on the Senator's amdt?"
Durbin:"11 hours and 50 minutes"
McConnell:"Well my goodness. It's been quite a start,quite a start to this fast-track process.They were in a big hurry."
Thune to Hill pool tonight on the delayed vote-a-rama: "At some point when we get back on amendments , we have a lot of people that want to offer them."
Thune on when vote-a-rama will end:"I'm told that Schumer wants to finish,so I don't know if that goes all through the night and tomorrow,or if at some point people play out & everybody feels like they've had their say.But I know we've got a lot of pent up demand to offer amdts."
Thune on Senate GOP tonight: "I think in some ways ur folks are annoyed because they think the Democrats have been dragging this out in an effort to prevent them from being able to offer amendments, particularly given the fact that this one had them so tied up in knots."
Senate NOW voting to allow Sanders amdt to increase minimum wage to $15 per hour over five years to be included in $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill, ruled not in order by the Senate Parliamentarian. 60 votes are needed.
Procedurally, the Senate is voting to waive a budget point of order raised by Graham against including Sanders $15 minimum wage increase amdt in COVID-19 relief bill. 60 votes are needed.
Montana Senator Tester is the first Senate Democrat to vote against allowing Sanders $15 minimum wage increase amdt to be included in $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill.
9:34am: Senate Budget Chair Sanders from Senate floor offers his amendment to increase the minimum wage to $15 over five years to $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill.
Sanders got approval for Senators to use wireless personal devices, tablet devices and calculators during COVID-19 relief bill floor debate: "What do we think about that? Alright." he adds. Also his and Graham's budget cmte staffs got "all access floor passes."
Sanders: "COVID has not only caused massive death and illness, it has result in a way we have never experienced, social isolation....young people who want to go to school want to socialize, want to date...they have been unable to do that for the last year."
Schumer from Senate floor thanked Senate clerks for the 10hr & 43 min reading last night of Senate substitute amdt to House-passed $1.9T relief bill. And to Senator Johnson who forced the reading to happen:"As for our friend from Wisconsin,I hope he enjoyed his Thursday evening."
Schumer to Senate clerks: "I'm sure you all didn't expect that part of your job this week would entail standing on your feet and reading dense legislative language more than 10 hours straight."
Schumer in thanking the Senate clerks: "I can't imagine that's anyone's idea of a good time, but as usual our staff took their additional duties in stride and carried them out with professionalism and grace."
February jobs report is out this morning: US added 379,000 jobs last month and unemployment rate fell slightly to 6.2%.
BLS:"The labor market continued to reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In Feb, most of the job gains occurred in leisure & hospitality, w/smaller gains in temporary help services, health care & social assistance, retail trade, & manufacturing." bls.gov/news.release/p…
House Ways and Means Chair Neal (D-MA): "Today’s modest progress, partly as a result of the support we provided at the end of the year, is a reminder that we still have a long, long way to go to pre-pandemic employment levels and we have no choice but to act."