President Joe Biden’s $ 1.75 trillion bill to strengthen the social safety net and tackle climate change passed in the House of Representatives on Friday and headed for the Senate, where moderates and divided liberals have yet to come to an agreement.
The House passed the measure in a vote of 220,213, which was postponed for several hours by an angry opposition speech overnight by the House’s top Republican.
Euphoric Democrats gathered on the House floor to applaud the vote with waves of applause, while disgruntled Republicans demanded order.
“Now the Build Back Better Act is going to the US Senate, where I look forward to it as soon as possible so we can sign it,” Biden said in a statement after the vote.
Senate Democrats hope to reach an agreement by the end of December with centrist Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who have raised concerns about the size of the bill and some of its provision’s measurement before he can pass the room.
A defection of one of the 48 Senate Democrats and the two independents who join them would defeat the bill, which faces united Republican opposition. “Good luck in the Senate,” said Republican Rep.
Kat Cammack Democrats, as she handed in a final round of Republican proxy votes against the bill.
