Congressman Jared Golden (D-Maine) called for more bipartisanship in Congress hours after voting against President biden
Joe BidenHouse Democrats Approve .9T COVID-19 Relief Bill with Minimum Wage Increase Biden to hold virtual bilateral meeting with Mexican presidentThe coronavirus aid package on Saturday morning, making him one of only two Democrats in the House to challenge his party on the bill.
In a nearly 30-minute telephone interview with The Hill, Golden said he disagreed with Democratic leaders’ efforts to force the $ 1.9 trillion package in Congress without Republican support and that he believes a more bipartisan approach would have produced a better bill.
“I like to always remember that just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should. This does not mean that it is in the country’s interest, ”said Golden on the decision to promote the bill without Republican support in the House.
Democrats also plan to take the bill to budgetary reconciliation in the Senate, a process that allows them to avoid obstructing 60 votes.
“I think I would say that I don’t think it’s in the country’s interest. I think we ended up with worse public policies as a result, instead of a more targeted bill that would come out of a bipartisan process, ”he added. “And, looking to the future, I think we still don’t know what the negative consequences of this decision can be. I hope there are none. ”
Golden had been one of the first opponents to passing the bill through budgetary reconciliation. Earlier this month, he voted against going that route, saying the process would take too long and hinder quicker relief.
When asked to explain his opposition to the specifics of the legislation, Golden pointed out the overall price of the package, which he called excessive.
The package includes measures that would provide a third round of direct stimulus checks (up to $ 1,400 for individuals), as well as a $ 400 increase for weekly unemployment insurance through August 29, $ 8.5 billion in financing for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for vaccination efforts, as well as funding for housing assistance, among other things.
And while supporters of the project said that funding levels are appropriate, Golden argued that previous coronavirus relief efforts had already channeled money into efforts that have not yet been spent.
“[I]t adds billions and billions and billions of dollars in programs that have already been financed and have not yet reached the economy, ”he said.
Golden said he was not a “budget hawk”, but expressed concern about spending on the coronavirus aid package that could reduce funding for efforts to combat climate change, improve the health system and more.
“We need to be increasingly targeted as we move here so that we have … the resources we need for other critical reforms that the American people also need us to step up and carry out,” he said.
However, in addition to fears that the federal government is distributing too much money, Golden has sounded the alarm that the lack of Republican support for the new government’s first major bill could have pushed Republicans out of the prospect of an agreement in the future.
“It poisoned the well a little, so to speak,” he said.
A spokesperson for the speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiHouse Democrats approve .9T COVID-19 relief bill with minimum wage increase The Budget Committee chairman promises to raise the minimum wage: ‘Hold on’ Capitol review to recommend adding more fencing, 1,000 officers: report MORE (D-Calif.) Did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill on Golden’s comments, but Republicans have already indicated that they were disappointed by the Democrats’ direction with the vote.
Whip of the Senate minority John Thune
John Randolph ThuneGraham: Trump will be ‘useful’ to all occupants of the Republican Party in the Senate. Cruz hires Trump campaign advisor as communications director for the Republican Party in the Senate to avoid a 22-year war with Trump MORE (RS.D.) told Politico earlier this month that the process made Republicans feel “a little bit betrayed by the representations they were getting about Democrats’ intentions”, referring to President Biden’s calls for unity during his inauguration .
Golden’s calls for bipartisanship are not surprising, given the chair he occupies. Maine’s 2nd Congressional District voted Golden for the job in the 2018 “blue wave”, but also voted for the former President Trump
Donald TrumpBiden to hold virtual bilateral meeting with Mexican President More than 300 accused in connection with the Capitol riot Trump Jr.: There are “many” rulers who should be challenged MORE in 2016 and 2020. Golden won re-election in November by beating President Biden by about 30,000 votes.
It was precisely the results of the 2020 cycle that Golden said he demanded bipartisanship.
While Biden beat Trump, Republicans also won several Democratic seats in a cycle in which the Republican Party was expected to lose up to 15 members. And with the smallest majority in the House of modern history and a 50-50 Senate, Democrats will need Republican support to approve some – if not most – of their legislative priorities.
“It is more than not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, it is accepting that the party has not received some kind of clear mandate here,” said Golden. “So I think we also have to accept the fact that we are going to have to work with the Republican Party and that is the mandate that was delivered by voters in 50 states. And there are so many times when you can reconcile the budget. “