Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said on Monday that President Joe Biden is inviting Republicans to the White House “in good faith” to discuss the proposed aid package that includes an amount less than half of what Democrats expect. but he suggested the president will continue leaning towards the larger proposal, which includes $ 1.9 trillion.
It is “brainstorming”, said of the meeting scheduled for this afternoon between the group of Republicans and Biden, clarifying it it is not necessarily a meeting for the president to “make or accept an offer.”
Because of the “urgency” of the coronavirus crisis, Psaki pointed out that the White House’s priority is to act quickly in approving a new package..
In addition to emphasizing the twofold spirit with which Biden hopes to move forward with the aid package, Psaki reinforced the president’s position: “There is clearly an urgency … His (Biden) position remains … that the risk is not that (the package) is too big, the risk is that it is too small.”
In his comments, Psaki seems to realize that the Republican $ 600,000 million proposal has no chance of success and that, as reports show, President Biden will be inclined to bolster support for the $ 1.9 trillion package.
This situation is a “challenge” to the Democrat administration, which campaigned for unity and a return to bipartisan work that has practically disappeared in the US Congress due to the political polarization that has worsened in recent years.
“He believes the size of the package should be consistent with the dual crises we are facing. That’s why he proposed a $ 1.9 trillion package,” Psaki said.