In the early morning hours on Capitol Hill, we saw evidence of why elections matter, and especially why Georgia mattered. With a Senate locked 50-50 on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote (watch above).

The New York Times explains:

In the marathon session — known as a vote-a-rama and for which more than 800 amendments were drafted — Senate Democrats maneuvered through a series of politically tricky amendments that Republicans wanted to attach to a coronavirus relief package as lawmakers pressed forward with a budget plan that includes Mr. Biden’s economic aid proposal.

The resolution will go to the House, where Democrats do not require Republican support to approve it.

There is still a ways to go before the pandemic relief package is complete. The Washington Post writes:

With the budget resolution complete, Congress can turn in earnest to writing Biden’s expansive pandemic relief proposal into law — and push it through the Senate, without Republican votes if necessary, under the special rules unlocked by the budget legislation. That process will take weeks, with Democrats eyeing mid-March as the deadline for final passage of the relief legislation because that is when enhanced unemployment benefits will expire if Congress doesn’t act first.