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Biden celebrates wins on budget and voting rights in House of Representatives

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden celebrated a number of legislative wins in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, getting endorsement for his $3.5 trillion (£2.6tn) budget blueprint and strengthening voting rights.

The 220-212 vote is key to Mr Biden’s domestic infrastructure agenda, which involves massive investment in upgrading US roads, railways, utilities infrastructure and more.

Every Republican voted against the budget, giving power to right-wing Democrats who have been trying to hold up the deal until the House passes a smaller public works plan.

A compromise saw their votes bagged in return for a promised vote on the smaller Bill by September 27.

The left of the party want the broader budget — which includes commitments on childcare, holiday pay, Medicare expansion and green energy — passed alongside infrastructure improvements so the right cannot water down Mr Biden’s ambitious policy agenda. 

Left groups such as Our Revolution, which is aligned with Senator Bernie Sanders, protested outside the offices of right-wing Democrats, accusing them of trying to hold up the most important parts of the legislative programme, and Justice Democrats ran TV ads pushing them to support the Bill. 

The AFL-CIO held rallies in Washington insisting Democrats unite to back the blueprint, which also strengthens trade union rights through the Protect the Right to Organise (Pro) Act.

The House also passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would force states to get changes to voting rights approved by the Justice Department to roll back ID laws Democrats say are aimed at suppressing the votes of poorer and ethnic minority citizens, passed by many Republican-governed states.

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