President Biden and the Democrats are signaling that they will move forward with a $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill using special budget rules to prevent Republican Party obstruction.
The day after Biden met at the White House with 10 Republican senators who support changing a much smaller package, Biden called a meeting of Senate Democrats and urged them to grow and act quickly.
While going “big” does not rule out any deal between the White House and Republicans, it suggests that Biden wants to move forward with a much bigger package that even downtown Republicans say they could support, despite the president’s statements that he also wants to unify Washington and work with republicans.
Biden met with a group of 10 Republican senators – including one by teleconference – at the White House on Monday, leaving several with the impression that he could wage a Democratic effort to accelerate a party aid package in Congress. to give more time to bipartisan negotiations.
But on Tuesday, his message to Senate Democrats in a lunchtime conference call was clear: be big and act quickly on a COVID-19 relief project.
“President Biden spoke about the need for Congress to respond boldly and quickly. He was very strong in emphasizing the need for a big, bold package. He said he told Senate Republicans that the $ 600 billion they proposed was too small, ”said the Senate majority leader. Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerCapitol Officer Brian Sicknick is honored at the Roundabout Democrats offer resolution denouncing white supremacists before Trump’s trial. Lobby World MORE (DN.Y.) told reporters after the Democratic meeting.
The President was supported by the Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen
Janet Louise YellenOn The Money: Biden calls Dems and asks for a big COVID account | SEC’s Biden picks up as GameStop drama unfolds | Bezos resigns as CEO of Amazon, Senate Democrats, take the first step towards the grand bill COVID-19 Council of a public official for the next government: listen to KISS MORE, who warned that a relief bill closer to the $ 618 billion proposed by the 10 Republican Republicans could leave the economy struggling for years to fully recover.
Schumer said that Biden and Yellen agree with him and the speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiSchiff presses Newsom to be named California AG: reports that Biden pays tribute to future police officer Sicknick Greene on House committees after the Republican Party meeting (D-Calif.) That if Congress passes a minor relief bill, “we would be mired in the COVID crisis for years”.
But Republicans argue that the centerpiece of Biden’s plan – a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour – can really hurt the economy and they have a powerful ally in the Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinProgressives targets Manchin, Sinema with new PAC Manchin warns against coronavirus relief project only for Democrats On The Money: Biden calls Dems and calls for big COVID project | SEC’s Biden picks up as GameStop drama unfolds | Bezos stepping down as CEO of Amazon MAIS (DW.Va.), which announced on Tuesday that it does not support raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15.
Sen. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsManchin supports budget reconciliation for the relief bill, but with a warning to the head of Intercept’s office: Schumer will keep COVID-19’s help steady in avoiding primary negotiations The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden, Republican Party senators start negotiations; Democrats advance MORE (R-Maine), which organized the Republican Party meeting with Biden on Monday, says a minimum wage increase should be moved separately.
“It is not relevant for treatment, economic recovery or the distribution of vaccines,” she said on Tuesday. “In fact, it would be very difficult for the hospitality industry, which has been particularly hurt.”
Manchin said on Tuesday that he wants to set the federal minimum wage at a level “that is responsible and reasonable”. He said it would be $ 11 an hour, adjusted for inflation, in West Virginia.
Schumer needs all 50 members of his unified caucus to pass a budget resolution that sets the special path for passing a COVID relief bill with a simple majority of votes at the end of the year.
Manchin voted on Tuesday with 49 other members of the Democratic conference to advance the budget resolution, but warned that any bill that passes the budgetary reconciliation rules to avoid obstruction must be targeted and have a substantial contribution from fellow Republicans.
“I will vote to move forward with the budget process because we must address the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis. But let me be clear – these are words I shared with President Biden – our focus should be on the COVID-19 crisis and on the Americans who were most affected by this pandemic, ”said Manchin in a statement.
Manchin, whose vote is critical to the approval of Biden’s top legislative priority by a simple majority, declined to say the size of the package he is willing to support.
“I can’t say where the right numbers are, but when you have a good bipartisan opinion, you can discuss and debate, that’s when you get a good program,” he said.
Biden will have to balance these competing factions on Capitol Hill to preserve his reputation as a pragmatic leader willing to work with the opposition while keeping his base happy.
Several of the Republican Party senators who met with Biden thought after the meeting that he might try to stop Schumer and Pelosi from moving forward with a $ 1.9 trillion party aid package.
“He said that in his next talks he needs to talk to Schumer and Pelosi and see where they can go, but when it comes to negotiating in good faith, he is willing to hear from you about this proposal and see what you can do, even if it’s about passing a quick bill like this and addressing other things later, ”said a Republican Senate aide who was briefed on the meeting, referring to the possibility of passing a bipartisan relief bill. smaller with votes from the Republican Party before Democrats pass a larger party project with 51 votes under budget reconciliation.
Other Republicans in the room with Biden on Monday had the distinct impression that the president could agree to move a bipartisan package out of the complicated budget reconciliation process. This path would require obtaining 10 GOP votes to bring together the 60 needed to overcome an obstruction.
“This is clearly what we encourage,” said the senator. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiThe Hill 12:30 Report: Biden tests the Republican Party’s negotiating skills at today’s COVID relief meeting. Republican Party senators unveil 8 billion coronavirus proposal ahead of Biden’s meeting with Republican Party senators on Monday on coronavirus relief MORE (R-Alaska) who was at Monday’s meeting. “There was an exchange of views and ideas, but also the promise to exchange some of our sources and data and to build on that and explore where we could make some adjustments.
“He didn’t say, ‘I’m going to call Nancy and Chuck now,’ but he assured me, ‘I heard about you and we’re going to find out how we’re going to move on.’ I would assume that ‘moving forward’ would be to share the outcome of our discussions with the leadership of the House and Senate, ”she said.
Asked if Biden indicated that he would like to ask Democratic leaders to give bipartisan talks enough time to reach an agreement, Murkowski said: “He understood us clearly, he knows clearly – he understands what it means to try to make a deal and needing a little space. ”
But at the same time, Murkowski said the president “also listens very clearly to the Democratic leadership’s desire and what they want to do” to propose a major relief bill immediately.
“He was telling us that we have people on the other side who strongly believe that they don’t want to wait for Republican deals,” she added.
Sen. Thom Tillis
12:30 report by Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisThe Hill: Biden tests the Republican Party’s negotiating skills at today’s COVID meeting. Republican Party senators unveil 8 billion coronavirus proposal ahead of Biden’s meeting with Republican Party senators on Monday on coronavirus relief MORE (RN.C.) said “on some of the key issues, whether it’s individual assistance payments, some of the things we’re talking about for state funding, he was in an honest position to be willing to talk about it ”.
Tillis said that Biden “said he is working with his majority” and warned that “every step he takes in our direction can cost votes on the other side”.
“I think he wants to produce a result,” he added.
“We talked about the things that we could just move on and reach consensus on because time is of the essence. If you think about it, if we get in [budget] vote-a-rama this week and then we move on to impeachment, it may be March before some of these priority items are sent to your table, ”said Tillis.
He said he thinks Biden is open to approving a smaller two-party package before Democrats come up with a bigger budgetary reconciliation project.
But other Republicans had a less optimistic view of Monday’s meeting.
“I had the impression that he was trying to be friendly and tell us that he liked the fact that we got in touch,” said the senator. Mike Rounds
Mike RoundsSenate Democrats take the first step toward the grand bill COVID-19 The Hill 12:30 Report: Biden tests the Republican Party’s negotiating skills at today’s COVID meeting. Republican Party senators reveal proposal for 8 billion coronaviruses before Biden’s meeting MORE (RS.D.), who attended the meeting by phone. “To be honest, I felt that he thought that if he could do it without Republicans, he would be more than willing to do it.”
Asked if Biden is open to breaking his package by moving a bipartisan bill separate from the reconciliation process, Rounds said: “I didn’t hear that.”
Another Republican senator who met with Biden on Monday said the president appears to be in “conflict” between working with moderate Republican senators and simply presenting his own $ 1.9 billion plan to Congress using budgetary reconciliation.
“I think he is probably in conflict. I think he really wants to work with us and his advisers and the Democrats here are saying, ‘Don’t even try.’ “
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoBiden calls Democrats and calls for a major COVID-19 relief bill. Republican senators unveil 8 billion coronavirus proposal ahead of Biden’s meeting with republican senators on Monday about coronavirus relief (RW.Va.) agreed on Tuesday that Biden seems more willing than some of his top advisers to work with Republican lawmakers.
“He seemed willing to continue the conversation and keep looking, but when I read the consequences of his spokesman’s comments and I think there was someone else who commented on it from his office, it looked like it was the end of it and we are moving forward.” , she said.
– Jordain Carney contributed.