Arizona delegation votes along party lines as Democratic virus aid bill topping $1.9 trillion passes House

In a party-line vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its wide-ranging version of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill sought by President Joe Biden early Saturday in a form likely to differ from anything that passes the Senate.

The House bill included a $15 hourly federal minimum wage, something the Senate's rule-arbiter already has said can't be in legislation that isn't subject to that chamber's filibuster provision.

It passed 219-212, with only two Democrats breaking ranks, and no Republicans. 

Arizona's nine-member House delegation voted in line with the rest of their colleagues, with the state's five Democrats helping pass the measure. They cast it as needed and overdue help for the middle class and small businesses.

"The combined crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn continue devastating the lives and livelihoods of the people of Southern Arizona,” said Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., in a statement ahead of the final vote. “The American people are desperate for help, and I am proudly supporting this package to provide immediate relief to workers, families, and small businesses who need it the most.

"With vaccination efforts already slowing the spread of the virus, this funding ensures we can continue to safely weather the end of this pandemic.”

The state's four Republicans voted against what they viewed as a needless follow-up to aid passed in December that will only help balloon the national debt.

"Only 9% of the underlying bill goes to combating COVID-19 through public health spending," said Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz.

"The other 91% is a partisan wish list being pushed by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Union pensions, blue-state bailouts, Planned Parenthood, and even a bridge and a tunnel. That is what most of this bill is about, not COVID-19 relief. We need targeted, tailored relief that actually helps the American people, not this $2 trillion boondoggle." 

The virus relief bill, which has been Biden's first legislative priority, would provide $1,400 cash payments per person to millions of Americans. The measure also seeks to hike federal unemployment benefits by $400 weekly through August, provide $350 billion in direct aid to to state, county, municipal and tribal governments and increase funding for vaccines and virus testing.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the bill did almost nothing to combat coronavirus. He ticked through various provisions from subway tunnels in San Francisco to education funding that doesn't begin for two years.

"The swamp is back," McCarthy said. 

Its passage in the Democratic-controlled House was never in serious doubt, but the Senate parliamentarian's ruling on Thursday over raising the federal minimum wage has forced Democrats in that chamber to re-evaluate whether to push the issue as part of the broad virus-relief bill.

Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Joe Manchin, D-W.V., each have said they would not support the $15 minimum wage as part of the virus bill. That could leave Democrats short of votes in the evenly divided Senate.

Democrats have vowed to send a final relief plan to Biden before extended federal jobless aid expires in mid-March.

Reach the reporter Ronald J. Hansen at ronald.hansen@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4493. Follow him on Twitter @ronaldjhansen.

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