Home topics news Image credit: René DeAnda Economy Finance News Economy Joe Biden’s huge COVID stimulus bill has been approved by US Congress Guillermo Troncoso March 11, 2021 A major win for the Joe Biden administration as its sizeable COVID stimulus bill is passed by Congress. The $US1.9 trillion ($AUD2.5 trillion) rescue package managed to get the votes it needed to pass in the House of Representatives, although it was far from a landslide, with results closely matching party numbers: 220-211. No republicans voted for the bill, arguing against the giant price tag for what some described as a “socialist agenda” that would ultimately do little to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The bill, the Administration dubbing the American Rescue Plan, will be providing many American adults with direct payments of up to $US1,400 and extending emergency unemployment benefits of $US300 per week to September. The package will also be providing help for small business affected the pandemic (for example, $US30 billion to restaurants), up food aid, push $US350 billion into both local and state governments, over $US120 billion to schools, and extend the moratoriums in place regarding foreclosures and evictions. From $1,400 checks and unemployment relief to vaccines for every American — help is here. pic.twitter.com/R0AYaTbkTV — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 10, 2021 Not everything that the Biden Administration wanted in the bill has made it through and further conditions were placed on other proposals. The proposed minimum wage increase to $US15 an hour by 2025 was removed from