On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion dollar COVID-19 relief package. It is the third major COVID-19 relief bill that has been passed.

The bill was passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate with little to no support from Republicans. It was passed through Congress via the budget reconciliation process, a unique process for budget legislation that only requires a simple majority.

The date of the passing of this law is notable, as it marked the one-year anniversary since the World Health Organization classified COVID-19 as a global pandemic.

Americans will receive payments of up to $1,400 dollars, on a sliding scale based on income. Most low-income to middle-income families will receive the full stimulus amount.

As part of the bill, the annual child tax credit has been increased to $3,600 for children below age 6, and $3,000 for children between ages 6 and 17. This is up from the previous credit of $2,000 annually.

Polls show that around 75 percent of Americans support the bill. This bill is likely to be the last major stimulus that will be passed in the pandemic.

Some have questioned the high impact of the bill on the national debt and its overall necessity at this point in time. It’s been reported that only 7 percent of the $1.9 trillion directly helps the efforts to relieve the medical side of the pandemic, which includes things such as testing and vaccine distribution. 

Republicans have criticized the bill for what they call hidden provisions, in particular, a federal employee leave provision. Conservatives have called it a “personal bailout for bureaucrats” for its offer to give federal employees paid leave of $1,400 weekly for up to 15 weeks if their children have to attend school remotely or they have to care for family members who have the virus. This would not extend to the rest of Americans.

For those in desperate need of relief, the positive effects of the bill are undeniable. But the consequences of high spending, inflation, and debt increase will have a negative impact on future generations.