Senate Democrats advance $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, clearing hurdle as they finalize changes to legislation

• The Senate voted along party lines to advance Biden's $1.9 trillion relief bill on Thursday.
• The move kicks off a marathon debate that's likely to push a final Senate vote into the weekend.
• Republicans aim to drag out the proceedings and offer hundreds of amendments to the bill.
• Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

The Senate voted along party lines to advance the $1.9 trillion rescue package on Thursday, kicking off a debate that Republicans are moving to drag out. A final vote on the bill may slip into the weekend.

Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tie for a 51-50 vote. The clock has started on 20 hours of debate, followed by a marathon amendment process called a vote-a-rama.

"No matter how long it takes, the Senate is going to stay in session to finish the bill this week," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday.

Shortly after, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin set up a full readout of the 628-page relief legislation, which could stretch for up to 10 hours. The task fell upon the chamber's clerks; senators wouldn't be reading the bill.

"We need to keep this process going so we can highlight the abuse - obviously not COVID relief, obviously a boondoggle for Democrats," Johnson said.

Democrats brushed this aside as a political stunt and pointed to polls suggesting strong public support for the package.

"We Democrats want America to hear what's in the plan," Schumer said. "And if the senator from Wisconsin wants to read it, let everybody listen, because it has overwhelming support."

Legislation changed in Senate en route to party-line vote

Democrats spent much of the past day finalizing changes to the sprawling legislation. President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed off on tightening eligibility for a round of $1,400 stimulus checks, lowering the income caps to prevent higher-earning Americans from receiving a direct payment.

The moderate Democrats who led this effort also adjusted the aid formulas for $350 billion in state and local funding.

"I wanted to be sure localities had an ironclad share of the state and local funding," Sen. Angus King of Maine told reporters on Thursday. "I wanted to be sure that the individual payments were targeted to those most in need."

The relief package would provide $1,400 stimulus checks to most taxpayers; $400 in weekly federal unemployment benefits through August; $200 billion in funding for schools; $50 billion for virus testing and tracing; and a major revamp of the child tax credit.

Republicans have staunchly opposed the bill, arguing that it is an untargeted piece of legislation full of progressive priorities. Some were supportive of Johnson.

"I would expect a very long night into the next day and keep going on. There's a lot to still cover," Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma told Insider. "Obviously we need to read the bill first."