Washington – Democratic leaders in Congress presented a joint budget resolution on Monday that begins the process of approving President Biden’s coronavirus relief plan without Republican support, announcing the move just before a group of 10 Republican senators. set to find with the White House president about his own structure.
The budget resolution presented by Mayor Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is the first step in the budget reconciliation process that would allow Congress to quickly approve the $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus package of Biden with simple majority. The resolution contains reconciliation instructions that establish which parliamentary committees are responsible for drafting legislation and how much they can spend. Once the House and the Senate pass the resolutions, the committees can begin work on the reconciliation project.
“Congress has a responsibility to quickly deliver comprehensive and immediate relief to the American people injured by COVID-19,” said Schumer and Pelosi in a statement. “The cost of inaction is high and rising, and the time for decisive action is now.”
The instructions direct relevant House and Senate panels to present language that addresses several of the main provisions of Biden’s plan, including $ 1,400 direct payments for individuals and an extension of the unemployment insurance program until September, with an increase of $ 400 per week. The legislation would also include $ 350 billion for state and local governments, funding to reopen schools and more money for vaccines, tests and public health programs. The budget resolution calls for federal aid to support the use of the Defense Production Act to boost the manufacture of supplies needed to fight the coronavirus, as well as money for small businesses.
Absent from a summary provided by Democrats is a clause that raises the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, which was in Biden’s package but criticized by Republicans.
“The only thing we cannot accept is a package that is too small or too narrow to get our country out of this emergency,” Schumer said in comments on the Senate floor. “We cannot repeat the mistake of 2009 and we must act very soon to bring this assistance to those who need it so much.”
The New York Democrat said the Republicans’ contribution was “welcome”.
“COVID’s relief must also be the work of Democrats and Republicans,” said Schumer.
The approval of an emergency aid plan is Biden’s first legislative priority, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the United States economy. Although the president emphasized that he wants bipartisan support for a coronavirus package, Republican senators declined the $ 1.9 trillion cost of Biden’s plan.
On Sunday, a group of 10 Republicans sent the president a letter asking to meet and discuss their own structure, which they said would have the support of Democrats and Republicans. At $ 618 billion, the plan is significantly lower than Biden’s and does not include money for state and local governments, which has been an obstacle in previous negotiations on relief measures.
Nine of the Republicans met with Biden for two hours on Monday. Senator Susan Collins, the group’s leader, called the meeting “productive”, saying she believed there was still hope for a bipartisan agreement.
The White House, however, said in a reading of the meeting that Biden “will not settle for a package that does not meet the moment”.