COLUMBUS, Ind. — Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, voted against a sweeping COVID-19 relief package that includes $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, extends emergency unemployment assistance, earmarks funding to expand COVID-19 testing and vaccinations and directs billions of dollars to schools, state and local governments and small businesses.
The measure, called the “American Rescue Plan,” passed the House in a 220-210 vote Wednesday. No Republicans voted for the measure.
Democrats have said the measure would help the country defeat the virus and nurse the economy back to health. Republicans criticized the $1.9 trillion package as more expensive than necessary and they complain it inflates the national debt and sends money to projects not directly tied to the pandemic.
The measure follows five earlier virus bills totaling about $4 trillion that Congress has enacted since last spring.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
