The U.S. Senate approved President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Saturday. The final vote was 50-49, with all Democrats voting in favor of the bill and all Republicans voting against it. The passage of the bill was met with cheers and applause from Democrats, celebrating the passage of one of the President's key priorities.
In the relief package was a bill that Senator Sherrod Brown has been working on for six years, The Butch Lewis Act. Which would protect people from getting their pensions cut and allow pension programs to take out a loan to get them on solid ground so they can continue to support those receiving their pensions.
"I don't think politicians in Washington understand collective bargaining that you give up dollars at the bargaining table today you and your company, as a worker, you and your company put dollars aside for a pension, then we honor that commitment," says Sen. Brown. "That is what this bill does. To make sure that people that put those dollars aside, they did the right thing for themselves, their families, and their community by putting those dollars aside for the future. Now they are going to see those dollars in their last many years of life."
The bill will go back to the U.S. House for final approval this week, before heading to President Biden's desk for his signature.
