A group of 10 Republicans have attempted to force President Joe Biden to negotiate a bit about his planned $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid package. The senators are asking for a meeting with Biden to negotiate the measure, as the Democratic leaders prepare to lay the groundwork so they can pass the package through with only democratic votes. In a letter to Biden, the senators, led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, say they are advancing the plan “in the spirit of duality and unity” called for by the president.
While the package will be revealed Monday, one of the GOP senators has said what they are putting forward is a proposal that would be less than a third the size of Biden’s desired package. Republicans have said Biden’s bill is too much money, as Congress has already pledged $ 4 trillion to fight the pandemic, including $ 900 billion in December.
The move by Republican senators is an attempt to stop Democrats from pursuing what is known as budget reconciliation. The procedural tactic would allow the Democrats to pass the bill without negotiating with the Republicans, as they would only need a simple majority in the Senate. Ohio Senator Rob Portman, one of the Republicans who signed the letter, said that following that tactic would “take President Biden down a path of bias that will poison the well.”
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who also signed the letter, went on to say Fox News Sunday that their proposed package would total about $ 600 billion. “We are focused on the needs of the American people and treat our tax dollars as if they were our tax dollars and not just money to spend,” said Cassidy.
The proposal put forward by the 10 Republicans includes $ 160 billion for vaccine development and distribution, as well as for testing, tracking and other supplies. It also calls for direct payments for “families most in need” and an increase in federal unemployment benefits. “We have developed a COVID-19 emergency response framework that builds on previous COVID assistance laws, all passed with bipartisan support,” the senators wrote to Biden. “We request that you have the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in more detail and how we can work together to address the needs of the American people during this ongoing pandemic.” In addition to Collins, Cassidy and Portman, the letter is also signed by Sens. Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Mitt Romney from Utah, Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia, Todd Young from Indiana, Jerry Moran from Kansas, Thom Tillis from North Carolina, and Mike Rounds from South Dakota.
For now, the letter does not seem to have persuaded many Democrats to change their plans. And while the Biden administration said it was willing to talk, officials also made it clear that speed is key. “We are certainly open to input from anywhere we can find a constructive idea to make this package as effective as possible, but the president is uncompromising when it comes to the speed at which we need to act to address this crisis,” Brian Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council, said on CNN. Jared Bernstein, a top economic adviser, said Biden is “absolutely willing to negotiate,” but also made it clear that any negotiation should come quickly and Americans don’t care much how it happens as long as they get the help they need to have. . “See, the American people really don’t care about the budget process, whether it’s a regular order, bipartisan, whether it’s filibuster, whether it’s reconciliation,” Bernstein said. Fox News Sunday. People “need enlightenment and they need it now”.
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