‘That’s not compromise, that’s surrender’

Democrats ridicule last-minute “compromise” of $ 600 billion in aid package from 10 Republican senators who say President Joe Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion plan is too expensive and instead advocate excluding GOP lawmakers those months have tried to quash an election and refuse any form of “unity.”

Congressional Democrats wanting a speedy move scoff Biden’s plan with a group of self-proclaimed “bipartisan” GOP senators drafting their own last-minute “compromise” for a much smaller $ 600 billion package. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on Budgets, is one of several members of the New Democratic Majority who say that relaying coronavirus shelter for Americans is more important than GOP complaints about “ unity. ” Sanders said the 10 senators are not “practical,” but are instead using an insincere demand for duality to destroy more moderate Democrats, including Biden.

Critics of the last-minute proposal noted that several of those 10 senators were the same people who tried to undo Biden’s election victory a few weeks ago and refused to listen to any discussion of a second aid package over the summer. Many Democrats expressed their hope that the White House would simply “ignore” the GOP’s compromise attempt.

Several Washington economists and strategists, including Paul Krugman, quashed the 10 Republicans’ watered-down proposal and sudden calls for duality. “That’s not a compromise, it would be a bitter surrender. Not even worth discussing,” New York Times commented columnist Sunday.

Michigan Congressman Rashida Tlaib was one of several Democrats who told Republicans that their proposal – wiping out $ 170 billion for schools and a minimum wage increase of $ 15 an hour – is too little, too late. Several critics noted that when Republicans held the majority in 2020 under Mitch McConnell, they even refused to consider a second aid package for months.

Real talk: During a global health crisis and a historic economic hardship, now is not the time to ‘compromise’ our residents. The QanonGOP got stuck with tax cuts and goodies for their business friends. Now let’s jam for the people. they don’t want to play ball, ‘Tlaib tweeted on Sunday.

Sanders has reiterated his willingness to work with Republicans to meet Democratic demands or get them out of the vote altogether, given the Senate majority with 51 votes. Sanders appeared to be reminding MSNBC viewers on Sunday that McConnell and Republicans would never offer Democrats the same “two-pronged” offer if their roles were turned.

“When we talk about unity and duality, remember that when Republicans were in control, they enacted a nearly $ 2 trillion program that consisted of tax breaks for the richest people and the biggest companies … we have to move on now,” said Sanders , noting that he has the power to use a budget reconciliation that could keep Republican senators out of the vote altogether with unanimous Democratic support.

One of 10 Republican senators seeking “unity” from Biden and the Democrats is Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy. The legislator complained Fox News Sunday that the White House never called him or the nine others who were trying to “compromise”. The 10 Republicans claim too much money was already distributed during the pandemic: $ 4 trillion, of which $ 900 billion in December. Checks to individuals for $ 1,400 would also be significantly reduced under the GOP proposal.

Cassidy explained a few details of the GOP’s smaller $ 600 package, saying their package would cut the $ 170 billion for schools because “we’ve already given them 110 percent of what they usually receive … it’s teacher unions who tell their members not to do that go to work. ” Democratic efforts to include the first federal hourly minimum wage increase in 12 years would also be dropped from their legislation, which will officially go into effect Monday.

Some progressives on Sunday suggested that Biden should respond to the 10 Republicans by having them publicly declare his election victory was valid. Others simply characterized the GOP as insisting on some hope that they can slow Democrat-led legislation in the name of budget cuts.

“Republicans sat on the sidelines and did nothing to curb Covid’s relief for seven months last year under Trump. Now they are waiting until the last day for the Democratic Congress to pass legislation and negotiate a new two-party bill,” commented political expert Keith Boykin. in a tweet.

Newsweek contacted the White House and Sanders’ office Sunday evening for additional comments.