Efforts to promulgate a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package advanced on Tuesday, when a budget resolution passed its first Senate test and President Joe Biden told Democrats on Tuesday that a Republican counter-proposal. it was very small.
The Senate voted according to party lines, 50-49, to start the debate on the resolution, which would trigger a process known as reconciliation, preventing an obstruction and allowing Congress to approve Biden’s plan by a majority vote in both. houses.
Biden previously spoke to the Democratic Senate bench at his virtual lunch and said he told Republican senators he met at the White House the day before that the $ 618 billion package was not enough.
“President Biden spoke about the need for Congress to respond boldly and quickly,” said Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., at a Capitol press conference after lunch.
“He was very strong in emphasizing the need for a big, bold package. He said he told Senate Republicans that the $ 600 billion they proposed was too small. If we made such a small package, we would be mired in the COVID crisis for years. “
Like Biden, Schumer said he received support from the Republican Party and would consider amendments to the larger bill as soon as it reached the Senate floor, but would move towards swift passage of the legislation.
“We share President Biden’s desire to move this legislation forward in a bipartisan way, but the work must continue,” said Schumer. “We are not going to dilute, hesitate or delay because the needs of the American people are too great.”
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in her daily briefing on Tuesday that there would be many opportunities while the bill is being drafted for Republicans to offer suggestions or amendments.
“At any point in the process, a bipartisan project can be approved in plenary,” she said. “So just creating the option to reconcile with a budget resolution does not exclude other legislative options.”
A study released this week by S&P Global found that the $ 1.9 trillion package would restore the US economy to pre-pandemic levels. That level of spending “would have the strongest impact on the economy this year,” said the report.
S&P Global also found that direct payments of $ 1,400 would “probably be the strongest support for the economy in 2021” because those who receive payments “spend most of the money right after receiving government checks”.
The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, a progressive research group, said that 90% of New Jersey adults and 91% of children would receive at least a partial payment. But that is a lower percentage than any other state, tied with Massachusetts. Of the 5.6 million adults in the state who would receive a stimulus check, only 36,900 of them would be among the top 5% contributors.
The GOP plan would provide maximum payments of $ 1,000 and far fewer people would receive any money.
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Jonathan D. Salant can be contacted at [email protected].