Sen. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsOvernight Health Care: US tops half a million COVID deaths | House Panel advances help project for Biden .9T COVID-19 | Johnson & Johnson ready to deliver doses to 20 million Americans by the end of March On The Money: Neera Tanden’s nomination is in danger after three GOP nations | Trump rages after SCOTUS rules on financial records Tanden’s path to confirmation seems increasingly unsustainable MORE (R-Maine) says that President biden
Joe BidenTikTok users spread the conspiracy that Texas snow was made by the government The problem with a one-size-fits-all federal minimum wage Throwing money in Central America will not prevent illegal migration MOREThe $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package is unlikely to have any Republican votes in the Senate floor.
And she pointed to the Senate majority leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerLawmakers Proposes Bill to Create Capitol Riot Commission The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by The AIDS Institute – COVID-19 rescue project a unit test for Dems ENERGY OF NIGHT: USA officially meets Paris climate agreement | Biden Energy Dept orders review of Trump’s energy rules | The Texas power grid was ‘seconds and minutes’ from total failure, officials say MORE (DN.Y.) and White House chief of staff Ron Klain
Ron KlainCapito calls on the White House to allow the toxic chemicals rule to continue. White House press officer resigns after threatening Politico reporter Sanders said Biden sees progressives as “a strong part of his coalition” MORE as the main reason why bipartisan negotiations on the relief bill failed.
Collins said on Tuesday that Biden’s senior advisers had refused to cut his $ 1.9 trillion proposal, which Republican Party moderates say is too expensive, given his preference for what they call “targeted” relief.
As a result, Biden’s proposed relief, which is expected to pass the House this week and reach the Senate before March 14, is likely to end up being approved by a direct party vote.
Schumer is bypassing a Republican obstruction by using special budget rules to approve the aid project with a simple majority. Vice President Harris would break the expected tie in the 50-50 Senate.
“The government has shown no willingness to decrease its value by $ 1.9 trillion and that is a major obstacle,” Collins told reporters.
“We indicate a willingness to increase our $ 618 billion, but unfortunately the White House seems attached to a figure that really cannot be justified, given the hundreds of billions of dollars that are still in process as of the December invoice,” she added.
Collins said she and her Republican Party colleagues are looking to make changes to Biden’s proposal when it comes to the Senate floor, but she predicted that there would be no Republican support for the package in its current form.
“What we’re looking at now is whether there are any changes we can make. But I would be surprised if there was support on the Republican bench if the project comes out at $ 1.9 trillion, even though we can make some beneficial changes, ”she said.
Collins is the leader of a group of 10 moderate Republicans who met with Biden at the White House earlier this month. At the meeting, they proposed a $ 618 billion counter offer that limited direct payments to individuals to $ 1,000 per person, instead of the $ 1,400 per person for adults and children proposed by the Biden government.
Senate Republican moderates have also omitted $ 350 billion in tax relief for state and local governments, which Biden has made a centerpiece of his plan.
Collins praised Biden for “doing a good job of outreach” to Republicans in Congress, but he deplored what she called the efforts of Schumer and the White House team to curb Biden’s bipartisan impulses.
“What appears to be a productive conversation seems to be overturned by the Democratic leader in the Senate,” she said.
“And a perfect example of that was when we had our discussion at the White House with the 10 Republicans to present our plan, to discuss it with the president. He was very attentive, kind to the details, there was a big discussion, ”she said of the February 1 meeting with Biden.
But Collins said that Klain, who was standing at the back of the room during the meeting, appeared to be hovering in the room to nullify the possibility of the president reducing the size of his proposal to obtain Republican support.
“Ron was shaking his head at the back of the room the whole time, which is not exactly an encouraging sign,” she said.
Collins said he had held talks with senior White House officials about the size and scope of the COVID-19 aid package since the meeting with Biden, but those talks have made no progress.
“I’ve already talked to people in the White House and other members of the group as well. But I think the critical point is that the White House team seems very attached to this $ 1.9 trillion thing, ”she said.
Collins said she was specifically concerned with $ 50 billion in Biden’s proposal for “unidentified” priorities.
“The first package they released the explanation for was $ 160 billion, which we all believe is the right number for the COVID vaccine, distribution from the manufacturer for extra testing, etc. But there was $ 50 billion there, which said only unidentified. I mean, that is not acceptable, ”she said.
“We are not going to write a blank check on ‘unidentified’. I mean, this is extraordinary, ”she added.