- Biden indicated that he is prepared to approve his $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package with only Democratic votes.
- Republicans “are simply not willing to go as far as I think we should go,” said the president.
- He suggested that negotiations could delay delivery of urgently needed federal aid.
- Visit the Insider Business section for more stories.
President Joe Biden on Friday gave one of the strongest indications that he was prepared to approve his $ 1.9 trillion emergency spending package with only Democratic votes.
Biden said in comments at the White House that he wanted to “act fast” and emphasized that his plan was designed to address the immense challenges the country faces.
“I would like to do that with the support of Republicans. I met with Republicans – there are some really good people who want something done,” he said. “But they are just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.”
Biden continued: “I told Republicans and Democrats that it is my preference: to work together. But if I have to choose between getting help now for Americans who are suffering so much and getting stuck in a long negotiation or settling in a crisis-dependent account. , is an easy choice. “
The comments seemed to reflect a new willingness on the part of the president to embark on a party path to obtain faster approval of his bailout package. Democrats began efforts this week to approve the plan through budgetary reconciliation, a legislative maneuver that allows the passage of a bill with a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the 60 generally required.
The plan includes $ 1,400 stimulus checks, $ 400 federal unemployment benefits through September, and assistance to state and local governments, among other provisions. Republicans were strongly opposed, arguing that it is a colossal level of spending not directed at progressive priorities.
So far, the White House has courted a group of 10 Republican senators to add a layer of bipartisanship to the aid effort. The group, led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, presented a $ 618 billion measure on Monday, but Democrats rejected it as insufficient.
Senators said in a letter to the White House on Thursday that “they remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner and hope that you will take our views into account as the legislative process progresses.”
Senior management officials practically rejected his plan at this stage.
“We are not going to sit here and wait for an ongoing negotiation,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a news conference on Friday. “Frankly, we didn’t get an offer in return, an offer in response to what the president has proposed.”
It was unclear whether Republican senators would try to continue negotiations with the White House.
Read More: Biden’s stimulus plan is raising Wall Street’s concerns that inflation will rise in the stock market. We talked to 4 experts about what this heated debate means for investors and how to take advantage of it.