The House approves a key budget bill as Pelosi says Democrats will pass the Biden stimulus package by end of February

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Nancy Pelosi House Democrats
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  • The House moved closer on Friday to approving Biden's stimulus package without GOP support.

  • They approved a budget measure that will allow committees to start drafting legislation.

  • Democrats say they want to enact the package by the end of February.

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The House of Representatives voted on mostly party lines Friday to approve a budget proposal that continues setting the stage for Democrats to approve President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion government rescue package without any Republican votes.

The vote outcome was 219-209. Every Republican was united in opposition, except Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine who voted against the measure. Golden said he wants Congress to approve a standalone package on vaccines instead first.

The development was a fresh sign that Democrats are barreling ahead to secure the passage of the Biden relief plan through Democratic support. Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to colleagues laying out a timeline for final approval of the economic aid plan, saying Democrats sought to "finish our work" by the end of February.

Committees will begin drafting the legislation next week now that both chambers passed the budget bill containing their instructions. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters on Capitol Hill that Democrats would attempt to put the measure to a floor vote in the lower chamber during the week of February 22.

Pelosi along with other Democratic leaders met with Biden on Friday, hours after the Senate approved an identical budget bill as part of the reconciliation process. It's the mechanism allowing Senate Democrats to approve the rescue plan with a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the 60 that's usually required.

At a press conference outside the White House earlier in the day, she vowed to stick to that speedy timeline to avoid a lapse of enhanced unemployment insurance for millions of Americans.

Meanwhile, Biden gave one of the clearest indications yet on Friday that he was prepared to ditch Republicans in order to get speedy and substantial federal relief out the door.

"I've met with Republicans, there's some really fine people who want to get something done," he said. "But they're just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go."

This story will be updated.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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