Biden urges Senate to pass COVID relief bill

In brief remarks on Saturday from the White House's Roosevelt Room, Biden said he called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to thank her for her support and urged the Senate to take up the American Rescue Plan quickly.

This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.

After the House of Representatives passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package early Saturday - the president spoke from the White House.

Biden said he called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to thank her for supporting the American Rescue Plan… which passed by a mostly party-line vote of 219 to 212.

“And with their vote, we're one step closer to vaccinating the nation.

We are one step closer to putting 1400 dollars in the pockets of Americans.

We're one step closer to extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who are shortly going to lose them.” (Flash) "Now the bill moves to the United States Senate, where I hope we will receive quick action.

I have, we have no time to waste.

If we act now decisively, quickly and boldly, we can finally get ahead of this virus.

We can finally get our economy moving again.

And the people of this country have suffered far too much for too long.

We need to relieve that suffering.” Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris may have to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, where Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats and their allies control the other 50.

Pelosi predicted the relief bill will pass Congress with or without a minimum wage increase and said Democrats would not give up on the matter of a wage hike.