WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden presented a Republican alternative to his $ 1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan as insufficient as the Senate Democrats were advancing, voting to launch a process that could approve its comprehensive bailout package on its own, if Republicans refused to support it.
Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined the Democratic senators for a virtual private meeting on Tuesday, both declaring the Republicans’ $ 618 billion offer it was too small. They called for great quick action to contain the coronavirus pandemic crisis and its economic consequences.
Biden would likely reiterate that message on Wednesday, while stepping up his public commitments to lawmakers on the issue. The White House announced that Biden would discuss the bailout plan with House Democrats over the phone, followed by a meeting in the Oval Office with Democratic senators.
As the White House comes to a bipartisan bill, Democrats organize their increasingly small majority in the Senate, voting 50-49, to begin a long process of approving Biden’s bill with or without the support of the Republican Party. The goal is to have the COVID-19 relief approved by March, when extra unemployment and other pandemic aid expires.
“President Biden spoke about the need for Congress to respond boldly and quickly,” said Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer after lunch. “If we made such a small package, we would be mired in the COVID crisis for years.”
Democratic action on Capitol Hill underscores the urgency to deliver Biden’s top legislative priority, even as negotiations are progressing particularly between Republicans and the White House, as well as with centrist Democrats, about possible changes to the package to win a broader bipartisan support.
Biden presented his views during the virtual lunch with the Democrats, talking about the need not to forget the middle class and working families – even those like nurses and plumbers who earn $ 150,000 for a family of four – who are suffering during the crisis, according to a person with anonymity to discuss the private call.
The night before, Biden met with 10 Republican senators present its $ 618 billion alternative and inform them that it was insufficient to meet the country’s needs. The president has made it clear that he will not delay aid in the hope of winning the support of the Republican Party.
Although no agreement was reached during Monday’s session, White House negotiations with Republicans are in progress in particular.
The result will test the new president who strives to unify the country, but facing an increasing death toll in COVID-19 and stubbornly high numbers of unemployed, with political risks for all sides. Vaccine distributions, direct payments of $ 1,400 to families, reopening schools and commercial aid are at stake.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell criticized Democrats for moving on their own. He said he had spoken to Biden before his meeting with the 10 Republican senators.
“They chose a totally partisan way,” said McConnell. “This is unfortunate.”
The two sides are far apart, with the Republican group of 10 senators focused primarily on the health crisis and $ 1,000 less in direct aid to Americans than the $ 1,400 proposed by Biden, while the president is leading Democrats toward a comprehensive rescue plan to shore up families, local governments and a partially closed economy.
At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated Biden’s view that the risk lies not in making a very large package, but in providing little help. She said the president was hopeful that the Republican Party’s ideas would be presented, and said that nothing prevents Republicans from participating in the process.
“We need to make sure that people get the relief they need,” she said.
White House officials previously cited the United States Chamber of Commerce as evidence of broad support for their plan, but the country’s most prominent business group issued a letter Tuesday that asked for a bipartisan commitment.
“There must be common ground for a bipartisan proposal that could become law,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and policy director, in an interview.
The cornerstone of the GOP plan is $ 160 billion for the health response – vaccine distribution, a “massive expansion” of testing, protective equipment and funds for rural hospitals, similar to what Biden proposed.
But from there, the two plans diverge dramatically. Biden proposes $ 170 billion for schools, compared to $ 20 billion for the Republican plan. Republicans would also give nothing to states, money that Democrats say is just as important, with $ 350 billion in Biden’s plan to keep the police, firefighters and other workers at work.
Direct payments of $ 1,000 from the GOP would go to fewer families, individuals earning up to $ 40,000 a year, or $ 80,000 for couples. This is less than Biden’s proposal for direct payments of $ 1,400 at higher income levels, up to $ 300,000 for some families.
Republicans offer $ 40 billion in commercial aid from the Payment Protection Program. But if the Democratic priorities were, like a gradual increase in the federal minimum wage at $ 15 an hour.
According to Schumer, Biden told Democratic senators that he informed Republicans “that he is willing to make some changes”.
But both Biden and Yellen recalled the lessons of the government’s response to the 2009 financial crisis, which some said was inadequate as conditions worsened. Biden said he told Republicans that their offer was “very small,” said Schumer.
Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant, potentially giving Biden the necessary 50-50 Senate votes for the 60-vote limit normally required to move the legislation forward. Vice President Kamala Harris is the tiebreaker.
Cautious Democrats moved on with Tuesday’s vote, not wanting to spend too much time courting Republican Party support that may not materialize or may lead to an insufficient package.
The procedural steps are the basis for eventual approval of the budgetary reconciliation process that would allow the bill to pass with a majority of 51 votes in the Senate, instead of the 60 votes normally required.
The vote on Tuesday opens 50 hours of debate on a budget resolution, with votes for amendments expected later this week. The Chamber is about to launch a similar process.
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Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Jonathan Lemire, Alexandra Jaffe, Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.