Biden struggles to get relief bill over the line

The $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package has endured a difficult path through the US Senate in recent days

Joe Biden could see many of his policy plans scuppered by the Senate filibuster, which requires a 60-40 majority on the floor before laws can be made Picture: Getty

After delays, disruptions and power plays, it looks as though US president Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill is on schedule for passage by March 14 – the day on which federal unemployment benefits are scheduled to run out for millions of Americans.

While the bill had a relatively easy passage through the House of Representatives, pushing it through the Senate has proved a more daunting task. It has survived, but it’s by no ...