Washington – A group of 10 Republican senators is expected to meet with President Biden on Monday to propose an alternative relief package for COVID-19, while the White House and Congressional Democrats prepare to move forward with the $ Biden plan 1.9 trillion with or without the support of the Republican Party.
The GOP group, led by Senator Susan Collins, wrote to Biden on Sunday requesting a meeting, and the White House quickly extended an invitation to meet with the president for a “full exchange of ideas”.
“We appreciate the president’s quick response to our letter and are pleased to accept his invitation to the White House tomorrow afternoon to discuss the way forward for the sixth bipartisan relief package COVID-19,” said the group’s statement.
The Republican senators’ offer totals about $ 618 billion, or less than a third of the size of the package that Biden is seeking, according to a summary of the proposal released on Monday. The plan provides for $ 160 billion for the development and distribution of vaccines, testing and screening, $ 132 billion for expanding unemployment benefits and $ 220 billion for a new round of direct payments.
According to the proposal, individuals who earn less than $ 40,000 will receive direct payments of $ 1,000, and couples who place an order together will receive $ 80,000. Checks are phased out for those who earn more than $ 40,000, with no one earning more than $ 50,000 eligible for payment. An additional $ 500 would also be paid for each dependent child or adult.
Extended unemployment benefits total $ 300 a week, in addition to state benefits, and would last until June. Mr. Biden proposed to extend these benefits until September.
“In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief structure that is based on previous COVID assistance laws, all passed with bipartisan support,” the group wrote in its letter to Biden. “Our proposal reflects many of its stated priorities and, with your support, we believe that this plan could be quickly approved by Congress with bipartisan support. We request the opportunity to meet to discuss our proposal in more detail and how we can work together to address the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic. “
The group of Republican senators hopes that their package could be a starting point for a bill that guarantees bipartisan support, while Democrats in Congress are preparing to move forward with a process known as budget reconciliation approve Biden’s plan by a simple majority in the Senate.
Last week, Senate Republicans criticized the $ 1.9 trillion price in Biden’s proposal and, specifically, the formula for distributing another round of direct cash payments. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, one of the signatories to the letter, said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that direct payments would be more targeted in his proposal.
Senators who signed the letter include Collins, Portman, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom North Carolina Tillis.
The GOP group is expected to release more details of its proposal on Monday.
Eight of the signatories were part of a bipartisan group of senators met spoke last week with Brian Deese, Biden’s chief economic adviser, on the government’s coronavirus aid package. Deese said on Sunday that the White House planned to revise the last letter and signaled that the president is willing to meet with the group, but not to compromise the basic provisions of his aid package.
“The president has repeatedly said that he is open to ideas from wherever they arise, that we could improve the approach to really address this crisis,” said Deese on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program. “He is uncompromising about the need to move quickly on a comprehensive approach here … So we need to act quickly and comprehensively, but we will continue to have conversations as we go.”
Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to the president, echoed Deese’s comments, saying “Face the Nation” from CBS on Sunday, that Biden is “willing to meet anyone” to take the process forward.
“The president said in his inauguration speech that he wanted to work with both sides to help the American people,” said Richmond on Sunday. “What we know about President Biden is that it is never about him, but always about people. So, yes, he is very willing to meet anyone to move the agenda forward.”