“In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a Covid-19 relief structure that is based on previous Covid assistance laws, all of which were approved with bipartisan support,” they wrote.
Senators said its structure includes a total of $ 160 billion for development and distribution of vaccines, testing and screening, and treatment and supplies, including the production and deployment of personal protective equipment.
The framework also includes $ 4 billion to strengthen behavioral health and substance abuse. It would also include a new round of direct payments to “families most in need of assistance” and extend federal unemployment benefits reinforced at the current level.
Brian Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council, confirmed on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that the White House had received the letter.
“We received the letter and will certainly review it throughout the day,” said Deese. “What I will say is that the provisions of the president’s plan, the American bailout plan, have been calibrated for the economic crisis we are facing.”
The president, he added, is “uncompromising with regard to the speed with which we must act to face this crisis”.
“We request the opportunity to meet to discuss our proposal in more detail and how we can work together to address the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic,” the group wrote to Biden, adding, “We recognize your calls for unity and want to work together. good faith with your management to address the health, economic and social challenges of the Covid crisis. ”
The other signatories to the letter are GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Shelley Moore Captain of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
The package proposed by Biden, however, expands many of the proposals in the $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill from March Congress and the $ 900 billion December legislation, which has been reduced to garner bipartisan support in the Senate.
Although Biden 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 dividing the legislation by getting a bipartisan vote in some respect and then passing a separate package along party lines using reconciliation.
This is a last-minute story and will be updated.
CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report.