Democratic centrists flex power on Biden legislation
By Alexander Bolton - 03/05/21 06:00 AM EST Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and other centrist Democrats increasingly are in control of the fate of President Biden’s COVID-19 relief package — and perhaps broader pieces of his agenda.
In a Senate where both parties hold 50 seats, a single defection by a Democrat can sink legislation, giving the centrists significant influence.
Just this week, several Democratic moderates worked behind the scenes to limit eligibility requirements for individuals and couples who would receive $1,400 direct stimulus checks, lowering the threshold for the checks from $100,000 in individual income to $80,000.
The House-passed COVID-19 relief bill allowed individuals earning up to $100,000 and couples earning up to $200,000 to receive some money from the stimulus checks. Under the changes demanded by the centrists, the Senate now cuts off payments for individuals earning more than $80,000 and couples earning more than $160,000.
Now there’s a push being led by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) to keep weekly federal unemployment benefits at $300 a week, instead of the $400 a week favored by Biden and most Democrats.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/541744-democratic-centrists-flex-power-on-biden-legislation
