iStock photo

The Senate approved a sweeping pandemic relief package over Republican opposition on Saturday, moving President Joe Biden closer to a milestone political victory that would provide $1,400 checks for most American and direct billions of dollars to schools, state and local governments, businesses and struggling renters and their landlords.

The bill cleared by a party-line vote of 50-49 after a marathon overnight voting session and now heads back to the House for final passage, which could come early this week.

Democrats said their “American Rescue Plan” would help the country defeat the virus and nurse the economy back to health. Republicans criticized the $1.9 trillion package as more expensive than necessary. The measure follows five earlier virus bills totaling about $4 trillion that Congress has enacted since last spring.

The bill provides over $30 billion to help low-income households and the unemployed afford rent and utilities, and to assist the homeless with vouchers and other support. States and tribes would receive an additional $10 billion for homeowners who are struggling with mortgage payments because of the pandemic, and local consortiums would split $5 billion to help the homeless.

The last round of federal virus aid, passed in December, included $25 billion for rental assistance, which was described by many in the real estate industry as a “down payment” on what was needed to both address accumulated back rent payments and cover future needs.

The money may help buoy small landlords, in particular, who have been harder-hit by the combined federal eviction moratorium and job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.