ERICA WERNER | The Seattle Times

House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., center, is flanked by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., left, and Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., at a news conference ahead of the vote on the Democrat’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) DCSA124 DCSA124

March 9, 2021 at 3:12 pm

Biden $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill nears finish line in Congress

The House is poised to approve a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Wednesday and send it to President Joe Biden to sign, a...

March 6, 2021 at 4:42 am

Senate passes Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill after voting overnight on amendments, sends measure back to House

WASHINGTON - The Senate approved a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan on Saturday, putting Congress one step closer to fulfilling an electoral promise from...

Nation & World

March 5, 2021 at 6:22 am

Senate Democrats announce deal on unemployment insurance, allowing Biden bill to move forward

WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leaders reached an agreement over unemployment benefits with moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, late Friday, ending a...

Nation & World

March 3, 2021 at 9:16 am

Biden limits eligibility for stimulus payments under pressure from moderate Senate Democrats

Under the new structure, the checks would phase out faster for those at higher income levels, compared to the way the direct payments were structured...

Nation & World

Activists appeal for a $15 minimum wage near the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill being prepped in Congress includes a provision that over five years would hike the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) DCSA102 DCSA102

March 1, 2021 at 11:36 am

Biden works to unify Senate Democrats on $1.9 trillion relief bill

The Senate parliamentarian said the $15 provision could not be included in the Senate version of a massive COVID relief bill, and the White House...

February 26, 2021 at 9:58 am

Senate Democratic leaders explore tax penalties on corporations paying below $15 an hour

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is exploring the idea of adding tax penalties for corporations that pay less than $15 an hour...

Nation & World

President Joe Biden gestures during a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and the chairs of House committees working on the American Rescue Plan, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/The New York Times) XNYT8 XNYT8

February 8, 2021 at 8:38 am

House Democrats reject plan to curtail $1,400 stimulus payments

Democrats aim to quickly pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package including $1,400-per-person payments. Who should get those payments, however, is causing division between...

February 7, 2021 at 8:54 am

Biden is open to mandating paid family leave in future legislation, Yellen says

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden is open to a national mandate for paid family leave and child care as the administration begins to develop a...

Nation & World

February 5, 2021 at 11:58 am

15-hour ‘vote-a-rama’ got Senate Democrats closer to a relief bill. Yet much of the night was anything but.

WASHINGTON - After a 15-hour stretch that kept lawmakers on the Senate floor until the wee hours of Friday morning, Democrats moved one step closer...

Nation & World

February 5, 2021 at 3:10 am

House approves budget plan as President Biden emphasizes willingness to approve stimulus without GOP votes

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives voted largely along party lines to approve a budget plan on Friday that will pave the way for Congress...

Nation & World