House expected to pass COVID relief bill next week

The legislation includes an increase to the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

ByMichelle Stoddart, Lauren King, and Kate Pastor
Last Updated: February 25, 2021, 1:45 AM EST

This is Day 33 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Top headlines:

Here is how events are unfolding. All times Eastern.
Feb 20, 2021, 10:41 AM EST

House Democrats unveil full $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill with minimum wage increase

House Democrats unveiled their massive $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, releasing the full text of the 591-page bill late Friday.

The legislation includes an increase to the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, $1,400 direct payments to Americans making $75,000 or less a year, as well as an extension of $400 federal unemployment benefits.

The U.S. Capitol Building seen on February 5, 2019 in Washington.
Zach Gibson/Getty Images

The House Budget Committee is expected to "markup" the bill on Monday. The full House is expected to pass the bill by the end of next week -- possibly even over the weekend -- before it heads off to the Senate. 

The legislation, which had already been passed in pieces out of individual committees, was packaged together by the House Budget Committee.

The House bill closely resembles Biden's rescue plan and includes more money for schools, vaccine distribution and funding for state and local governments.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

Feb 20, 2021, 10:41 AM EST

'The decisive decade': Biden climate envoy John Kerry sounds alarm as US rejoins Paris climate accord

The United States formally rejoined the Paris climate accord on Friday, 30 days after President Joe Biden signed the mechanism to reenter the historic agreement.

While climate advocates cheered the decision, Biden's special presidential envoy for climate change, John Kerry, sounded the alarm about the need for urgent and ambitious action.

Kerry attacked former President Donald Trump, blaming his administration for being "inexcusably absent for four years."

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan

Feb 20, 2021, 10:25 AM EST

Biden approves Texas disaster declaration

Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Texas stemming from the severe weather that destroyed the state's power grid.

PHOTO: Suzanne Mitchel, looks at her water damaged ceiling in Dallas on Feb. 19, 2021. As power was restored, Texans confronted another crisis: A shortage of drinkable water as pipes cracked, wells froze and water treatment plants were knocked offline.
Suzanne Mitchel, looks at her water damaged ceiling in Dallas on Feb. 19, 2021. As power began to flicker back on across much of Texas, millions across the state confronted another dire crisis: a shortage of drinkable water as pipes cracked, wells froze and water treatment plants were knocked offline.
Nitashia Johnson/The New York Times via Redux

The federal funds are available to 77 of the state’s counties and can be used for “grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” according to the White House.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

Feb 19, 2021, 7:14 PM EST

Biden tells acting head of FEMA he's 'ready to mobilize' Texas help 

President Biden told acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Bob Fenton Friday afternoon he was "ready to mobilize" federal agencies to support Texas during the state's weather crisis, according to a readout from the White House of their call.

Biden told Fenton he wants to "ensure that any critical needs are met." As he previewed earlier Friday, the president also said he plans to sign Texas' Major Disaster Declaration request "as soon as FEMA sends over the formal request from Gov. [Greg] Abbott." 

City of Richardson workers close a water main valve for a pipe that burst due to extreme cold, Feb. 17, 2021, in Richardson, Texas.
Lm Otero/AP

Biden added his White House would continue to stay in close contact with FEMA and local officials through senior administration officials. 

More than 14 million people are scrambling for safe drinking water and many lack the power to boil it after a historic winter storm earlier this week knocked out power and froze pipes across Texas. 

-ABC News' Molly Nagle