WATCH: The Moment VP Kamala Harris Breaks First 50-50 Tie to Clear Path for Biden Covid Relief Bill

The U.S. Senate pulled an all-nighter Thursday evening into Friday morning, which culminated in a historic moment. After 15 hours of debate, the Senate vote fell neatly along party lines. The 50-50 tie was broken by Vice President Kamala Harris, representing the first time the U.S. Senator turned Vice President voted to tip the Senate’s balance to the Democratic side.

This was not by any means a surprise, but the passed budget resolution has significant implications for the Covid relief plans put forth by President Joe Biden, who has placed as a top priority the passing of a massive, $1.9 trillion bill that now only needs a simple majority to get passed. The Democratic-controlled House will take the budget up today.

Like many issues in today’s partisan political world, the Covid relief bill is a mixed bag of positives and negatives for both sides of the Congressional aisle. By all indications, Biden and Democratic leadership intend to use “reconciliation” as a means to push this massive bill forward, which has already begun to raise reasonable deficit-spending concerns by Republicans.

It is worth noting, however, that the fiscally conservative arm of the GOP has been largely silent over the past four years, as the Trump Administration’s spending, combined with massive tax cuts, has led to sharp increases in federal spending and debt.

Punchbowl News added the following further context:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) noted from the floor that it’s been one month since Democrats won a pair of Senate seats in Georgia. “Just a month from that day, we have taken a giant step to begin to fulfill our promise.”

Republicans passed several “messaging” amendments as part of the process, including on the minimum wage and keeping the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. They believe these amendments will make for a tough vote in the House tonight.

President Biden has made clear that his biggest priorities are getting a handle on Covid-19 by developing an infrastructure for vaccine delivery and administration and help a US economy cratered by stay-at-home directions designed to abate the spread of the potentially deadly contagion.

The passing of a Covid relief bill, which almost certainly include stimulus checks which most Americans are eager to receive, could very well put the suddenly populist side of the GOP in a political bind, especially as they have ignored any fiscal restraint under the Trump administration.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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