Enjoy the cake: Nancy Pelosi will spend her 80th birthday today NOT voting on the 96-0 coronavirus stimulus bill...debate starts on Friday

Greg P. | 7:34 AM on March 26, 2020

The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill passed the Senate last night 96-0, but. . .

#BREAKING: U.S. Senate PASSES $2 Trillion Coronavirus Economic Stimulus Bill, 96-0. https://t.co/t1gjDcdRXa

Goes now to House. pic.twitter.com/2FxSbWnyiR

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 26, 2020

. . .is there a reason the House can’t vote on it, you know, today? According to Nancy Pelosi, the House will take up the legislation on Friday:

Pelosi on Senate’s coronavirus bill: On Friday, the House will take up the legislation with strong bipartisan support.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 26, 2020

Pelosi told the WSJ that she’s planning to debate the bill on the floor and will not pass it through unanimous consent, citing Republican opposition to unanimous consent in the Senate:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) told reporters Wednesday that she expects the House to debate the legislation on the floor, a shift from previous statements in which she said she wanted to pass it by unanimous consent, a nearly unheard of process for such a large piece of legislation that could be blocked by one lawmaker.

“Republicans have told us that’s not possible from their side,” to pass it by unanimous consent, she said. “This is a $2 trillion bill, I would like to see good debate on the floor.”

The House is likely to pass it by a voice vote, where members call out “Aye” or “No” and not a roll-call vote where names are recorded. That option allows members who are present to register dissent, but the bill could still be passed based on a vote of those in Washington and allow those wary of returning to stay home.