The House of Representatives on Friday passed a $1.7 trillion social spending bill, advancing a key piece of President Joe Biden's domestic agenda.
The bill passed 220-213 largely along party lines. No Republicans supported the bill, and just one Democrat voted against it.
The bill faces a more narrow pathway in the Senate, where Democrats only control the chamber by virtue of a tiebreaker vote from Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden will likely need support from every Democratic Senator, considering that Republicans have been reluctant to offer support for the bill.
The package aims to limit childcare costs for working families, provide four weeks of paid family leave for new parents, cap drug prices for older Americans, and reduce eldercare costs. The bill would also fund new climate change initiatives.
The $1.7 trillion in funding would be paid for by new taxes on the wealthiest Americans and increased taxes on corporations.
On Thursday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that the bill would add to the national deficit over the next decade by $367 billion.
The successful vote in the House came hours after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delayed proceedings by delivering a record-breaking eight-hour, 26-minute speech in opposition to the bill.
