Senate moves forward with sending $1.9 trillion COVID relief package to budget reconciliation with no Republican support

The US Senate passed a motion Tuesday to move forward with a budget resolution which would allow for passing many relief provisions included in the $1.9 trillion stimulus package presented by President Joe Biden using a method called budget reconciliation.

The Senate passed the motion with a 50-49 vote. No Republicans voted in favor of the motion.

"Joe Biden is totally on board with using reconciliation," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said to reporters Tuesday.

"I've been talking to him every day. Our staffs have been talking multiple times a day," he continued.

Democrats would be enabled, under the reconciliation process, to pass some relief provisions with a simple majority and not require GOP support.

Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said he does not prefer this process and would rather have "bipartisan support moving forward."

"I will vote to move forward with the budget process because we must address the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis," Manchin said in a statement.

"But let me be clear — and these are words I shared with President Biden — our focus must be targeted on the COVID-19 crisis and Americans who have been most impacted by this pandemic," he continued.  

It is unclear as to whether all of the relief provisions could be passed through the reconciliation method.