Bill readings are almost always dispensed with at the start to allow for debate, but Johnson saw it as way to register his frustration over the massive outlay of federal spending.
"It's people's lives. Real-life people are hurting and we can fix it," Biden said earlier. "When we help them we are also helping our competitive capacity," he said.
The move has cost several Wall Street giants huge losses and there had been a fear that investors would have to sell other assets to close out positions to protect themselves from suffering steeper losses.
"We have not seen many red lines drawn publicly by Democrats in Congress. I think we will see those red lines if the White House considers taking some things out or delaying some items," the adviser said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Biden and his staff are also expected to present the Republican senators with details on how his COVID-19 relief package would benefit their respective states, a White House aide said.
Howard Wright, the chief executive of Seattle Hospitality Group and the co-author of Seattle's 2014 wage hike, said companies should be able to raise the wage as long as it is done gradually.
Patrick Leahy, who was elected in 1974, is presiding over the trial as he is the senior senator of the party with the majority in the Senate, currently the Democrats.
Brent crude rose 28 cents to $54.58 a barrel by 11:35 a.m. EST (1635 GMT) after touching $54.90, a fresh high not seen since before the first COVID-19 lockdowns in the West.
President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory has been certified, confirming that he will be the 46th President of the United States.
After countless Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building yesterday in an attempt to subvert the confirmation procedure, Congress confirmed President-elect Biden's victory on early Thursday morning.
The two run-off elections were triggered after none of the candidates earned more than 50 percent of the vote in the November 3 general election.
The win will prove pivotal for Biden’s presidency as his party would control the Senate along with the House of Representatives, giving him more leeway to implement his legislative agenda.
Oil prices extended gains after soaring nearly five percent Tuesday on news that Saudi Arabia had offered to cut output by a million barrels in both February and March.
"It appears to be more of a political dodge than an effective remedy," Graham said in a statement. "I will listen closely. But they have a high bar to clear."
The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted 275-134 to meet President Donald Trump’s demand for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks on Monday, sending the measure on to an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Trump last week threatened to block a massive pandemic aid and spending package if Congress did not boost stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000 and cut other spending.
Minority-owned businesses: $12 billion for minority owned and very small businesses that struggled to access earlier Payroll Protection Program financing.
As the coronavirus pandemic roared to new record highs across the United States, it lit a fire in the U.S. Congress, where Republicans and Democrats were scrambling to pass a new round of aid after months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction.
Multiple lawmakers floated the possibility the federal government would run out of money early Saturday morning while the COVID-19 relief negotiations continue.