What does budget reconciliation have to do with COVID-19 relief?

As the pandemic and its economic impacts continue to be of pressing concern, the question many Americans are wondering: Are stimulus checks on the way?

For a status update on COVID19 relief efforts, it helps to have a quick refresher on federal budgetary processes.

In a Twitter thread, Kelly Whitener, associate professor of the practice at the McCourt School’s Center for Children and Families (CCF), explains budget reconciliation and how it connects to COVID19 relief.

For further reading on the budget reconciliation process and the history of past uses, you can read more on the CCF blog.

Stimulus checks aren’t in the mail…yet. But the steps taken this week mean that a #COVID19 relief bill could move forward with just a simple majority vote in the Senate, rather than the usual 60-vote threshold. 2/

— McCourt School (@McCourtSchool) February 5, 2021

This process opens up a risk: if Senate Ds and Rs didn't reach an agreement, a filibuster could prevent passing #COVID19 relief.

Enter budget resolution and reconciliation. 4/

— McCourt School (@McCourtSchool) February 5, 2021

VP Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to end vote-a-rama, leading to Senate passage of a budget resolution. The House passed its budget resolution earlier this week, but is expected to pass the Senate version soon.

So, then will stimulus checks be on the way? 6/

— McCourt School (@McCourtSchool) February 5, 2021

Like the budget resolution, the reconciliation bill gets special treatment in the Senate (limited debate, no filibuster, simple majority vote to move forward). It makes it easier to pass legislation, but there are other rules that can make it harder, like the Byrd rule. 8/

— McCourt School (@McCourtSchool) February 5, 2021

Once a reconciliation bill comes together, it has to go through all the usual steps for how a bill becomes a law — the same language must be passed by both chambers and the President must sign it.

That’s when you could see stimulus checks start to go out. 10/

— McCourt School (@McCourtSchool) February 5, 2021

More reading to dive deeper:

▪️ @GeorgetownCCF's blog on Past Uses of Budget Reconciliation: https://t.co/hmY171ENPC

▪️ The Byrd rule: https://t.co/iDLiew8MKO

▪️ @washingtonpost recap on vote-a-rama: https://t.co/GARHZWCjvl 12/12

— McCourt School (@McCourtSchool) February 5, 2021

Title: What does budget reconciliation have to do with COVID-19 relief?