“In the spirit of duality and unity, we have developed a Covid-19 relief framework that builds on previous Covid welfare laws, all of which were passed with bipartisan support,” they wrote.
The senators said their framework includes a total of $ 160 billion for vaccine development and distribution, testing and tracking, and treatment and supplies, including the manufacture and deployment of personal protective equipment. It would also include a new round of direct payments for “families most in need of help,” expand increased federal unemployment benefits to current levels, and make available $ 4 billion to bolster behavioral health and substance abuse.
An employee close to the trial told CNN that the plan is expected to be between $ 500 and $ 600 billion, although lawmakers are still waiting for information from the Congressional Budget Office on the estimated cost.
Portman, who appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, did not want to specify how much the group’s package would cost, but said it would be “less than $ 1.9 trillion,” the cost of Biden’s plan.
“You know, our proposal is an example – it will include all the healthcare funding that President Biden has in his proposal, everything. So there’s a lot of duality,” he said, adding separately that “if you can’t find a bipartisanship on Covid-19,” I don’t know where to find it. “
Republicans come up with their own plan
In recent days, it had become clear to Republicans that the story suggested the Democrats had a plan for Covid aid and Republicans could get in the way or agree to it. They didn’t feel there was a negotiating place to start and the frustration among the Republicans was palpable.
As the week went on, one idea that emerged was that they needed their own alternative to present to the White House. And more importantly, they needed 10 Republicans to be on board. One of the problems with the “Sweet 16” group is that they’ve only had 8 Republicans, which would never be enough to pay a bill. They needed 10 to show that there were enough willing partners to give the Democrats the 60 votes needed.
Other signatories to the letter include Sens. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia, Todd Young from Indiana, Jerry Moran from Kansas, Mike Rounds from South Dakota and Thom Tillis from North Carolina.
Any bipartisan plan is likely to lose votes on the Democratic side, meaning that for any progressive senator who opposes the proposal, they’ll need another Republican to support it. Still, this idea of juxtaposing two plans is one that assistants and members have been discussing for several days as a way of pushing the conversation back to a dual place.
Review letter from the White House
Brian Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council, confirmed on “State of the Union” Sunday that the White House had received the letter and said they would “review it during the day.”
“We’ve received the letter, and we’ll be sure to check it out during the day,” Deese said. “What I am saying is that the provisions of the president’s plan, the US bailout, were aligned with the economic crisis we are facing.”
The president, he added, is “uncompromising when it comes to the speed we need to address this crisis.”
In their letter, the Republican senators requested a meeting with the president.
“We request that you meet with the opportunity to discuss our proposal in more detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this ongoing pandemic,” the group wrote to Biden, adding, “We acknowledge your call for unity and will work in good faith with your administration to address the health, economic and societal challenges of the Covid crisis. ”
Biden’s proposed package expands on many of the proposals in Congress’s $ 3 trillion coronavirus bill in March and December’s $ 900 billion bill, which was scaled back to gain bipartisan support in the Senate.
While Biden has said he is willing to consider less than $ 1.9 trillion in relief, White House officials have made it clear that they are not interested in splitting the legislation by getting a two-part vote on any one aspect. and then pass a separate package along party lines with reconciliation.
When asked on Sunday if the White House was open to negotiating parts of Biden’s proposal, Deese told CNN they were “definitely open to ideas.”
“We welcome input to say where we may not have gotten everything right, where we could be more effective, that’s certainly part of the process as we move forward,” he said. “But what we really need to focus on now is what we need to get this economy back on track and what resources are needed to do so.”
This story has been updated with additional reporting.