Democrats' final effort to pass the $1.9 trillion relief hasn't been easy. Here's what happens next.

[DonViejo]

By Lauren Fox, CNN

Updated 9:41 AM ET, Thu March 4, 2021

(CNN) - The last three days have been a frantic rush to the finish line as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer faces his first big test to keep his caucus -- a diverse coalition that includes the likes of West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Vermont's Bernie Sanders -- in line to support the Covid-19 relief bill.

The bill we expect to see in the next several hours will look different than what the House passed, even if many of the most popular provisions and structures will remain untouched. That's a reflection of the herculean task Democratic leadership and the White House have had to undertake in recent days as they've hustled to try and ensure that ever Democratic senator had what they needed tucked inside to back this bill. It also means the bill will have to go back to the House for another vote next week before sending it to President Joe Biden's desk.

As we've said before, failure isn't an option here. Democrats can't go onto the field and sink Biden's first big legislative option -- a bill that most Democrats agree is badly needed even if they have individual gripes about specific provisions. As Biden said to the House Democrats last night, the point here is to remember the big picture. That's been the message from Schumer as his caucus heads into a lengthy vote-a-rama, that's been the message from the President and his staff and that's what Senate Democrats have been telling each other.

They'll get there, but the massive effort to get this bill to the finish line, which included multiple meetings with the President, around-the-clock paper trading with White House legislative affairs and even a series of conversations with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowksi about what her state of Alaska is dealing with amid the pandemic should not be overlooked. This was an all-hands-on-deck effort and if the bill passes, it shouldn't be read as just a symptom of Democrats in lockstep.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/04/politics/stimulus-negotiations-congress/index.html