President Biden is open to negotiations on his $ 1.9 trillion Covid-19 aid package, a senior government official told CNN, but the $ 600 billion counterproposal announced by some Republican senators on Sunday “will not scratch the itch “.
The White House is specifically open to considering reducing stimulus checks for families earning more than $ 150,000 a year, the official said, but the government is not considering cutting months of access to unemployment insurance or money going to schools. .
The official told CNN that if the Republican counter-proposal moves forward, lawmakers will have to negotiate again in two months, which could happen in an even more difficult political scenario. The official said that while the Biden government is open for its aid package to be less than $ 1.9 trillion, they are not considering a $ 600 billion plan.
The Republican aid package represents the most significant response to the package planned by the White House, although at a price of more than a trillion dollars less than the Democratic plan, the Republican Party’s proposal is likely to face opposition from Democrats in Congress.
The counter offer includes a total of US $ 160 billion for vaccine development and distribution, testing and tracking, treatment and supplies, including the production and deployment of personal protective equipment. It also includes a new round of direct payments to “families most in need of assistance”, extends increased federal unemployment benefits at the current level and provides $ 4 billion to reinforce behavioral health and substance abuse.
But Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer told the New York Daily News on Sunday that the Republican proposal is insufficient, saying Republicans should “negotiate with us, not make an offer take or leave”.
And Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that he thinks there are enough Democratic votes to approve Biden’s Covid-19 aid package through a process known as reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority.
Biden said he is not against reconciliation, but the official said on Sunday that the White House wants to “give Republicans a place, but they will not be harmed”.
The aid package’s deliberations represent an initial test of Biden’s stated commitment to reaching the other side of the corridor during his time as president. In his inauguration speech earlier this month, the president called for bipartisanship and unity.
As of Sunday night, decisions on the next steps have not been taken regarding the meeting with either party.