A $1.9-trillion coronavirus stimulus billthe first major legislation of President Joe Biden's termpassed the U.S. House mostly along party lines early on Feb. 27.
The legislation includes stimulus checks of $1,400 for individuals making up to $75,000 and $2,800 for couples making up to $150,000, plus $1,400 for each dependent. It also expands unemployment benefits at $400 a week.
The bill passed almost entirely along party lines, 219-212. Two Democrats (Kurt Schrader, of Oregon; and Jared Golden, of Maine) voted against the measure, and every Republican voted no.
The measure now moves to the U.S. Senate. According to CNN.com, the Senate is expected to remove a provision in the legislation increasing the federal minimum wage after the Senate parliamentarian ruled against including it under the procedure known as reconciliation, which Senate Democrats are using to pass the bill with a simple majority vote.
GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued a statement hailing the passage: "[The] passage of the relief bill is welcome news to LGBTQ Americans, who have been among those hardest hit by the pandemic. A majority of LGBTQ people have suffered job loss or disruption due to Covid-19, and LGBTQ households are four times as likely to have food insecurity during the pandemic. Our communities are in urgent need of help, and now we must ensure that LGBTQ people are included in not only aid distribution, but in Covid-19 testing and vaccinations as well."