Republicans press Biden to downsize $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

By Sarah N. Lynch and Jarrett Renshaw

 

The U.S. Capitol building is seen following the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ten moderate Republican U.S. senators urged President Joe Biden on Sunday to significantly downsize his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to win bipartisan support as Democrats in Congress prepared to push ahead with his plan this week.

 

A top White House economic adviser signaled willingness to discuss the ideas raised by Republican senators who floated a $600 billion alternative but said the Democratic president was not willing to compromise on the need for a comprehensive bill to address the public health crisis and economic fallout.

 

"He is open to ideas, wherever they may come. ... What he's uncompromising about is the need to move with speed on a comprehensive approach here," Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "A piecemeal approach ... is not a recipe for success."

 

It was unclear whether the outreach by 10 of the 50 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would shift plans by congressional Democrats to take up legislation in the coming days. Biden and fellow Democrats are seeking to make use of their control of the House of Representatives and Senate to move quickly on the president's top goal of addressing the pandemic.

 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber would begin work on it as early as this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would complete a preliminary step before the end of the week.

 

Congress enacted $4 trillion in COVID-19 relief last year.

 

Passage of the new relief legislation not only would impact Americans and businesses reeling during a pandemic that has killed about 440,000 people in the United States but also offers an early test of Biden's promise to work to bridge the partisan divide in Washington.

 

Biden, who took office Jan. 20, has proposed $160 billion for vaccines and testing, $170 billion for schools and universities, and funds to give certain Americans a $1,400 per-person stimulus check, among other provisions.

 

Some Republicans have questioned the overall price tag, while others urged more targeted measures, particularly over the direct payments to individuals.

 

LESS SCHOOL FUNDING

In their letter to Biden, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney and seven other senators asked Biden for a meeting and said their compromise plan could be quickly passed with bipartisan support, promising more details on Monday.

 

They said their bill included more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses, while echoing Biden's $160 billion for more funding to boost vaccines and testing. They also pointed to unspent money from previous COVID-19 relief bills.

 

"We're targeted to the needs of the American people," Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the 10 senators, told the "Fox News Sunday" program.

 

Cassidy added that their plan included less school funding, saying many private schools had already reopened and that the "the real problem is public schools" and "teachers' unions telling their teachers not to go to work."

 

Fellow Republican Rob Portman, who also signed the letter, told CNN's "State of the Union" program that direct checks should be limited to individuals making $50,000 and less and families making $100,000 or less.

 

The 10 Republicans endorsed keeping extra federal unemployment aid amid the pandemic at $300 a week versus Biden's proposed $400 a week. But Portman questioned the need for the Biden plan's extension of enhanced unemployment aid through September, noting "we don't know what the economy is going to look like" then.

 

Deese said the White House was reviewing the letter from the Republicans but did not say whether Biden would meet with the group, which also included Republicans Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran and Michael Rounds.

 

Biden "is absolutely willing to negotiate," Jared Bernstein, a member of Biden's Council of Economic Advisors, told "Fox News Sunday," but said more details were needed.

 

The United States leads the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths by a large margin. Public health experts have urged an immediate scaling up of lagging vaccination efforts as new problematic variants of the novel coronavirus emerge.

 

At $1.9 trillion, Biden's plan "is scaled to have the punch to finally put these dual crises behind us," Bernstein added, referring to virus control and economic relief.

 

Some moderate Democrats also have urged changes to Biden's package, while more liberal Democrats want more spending and other provisions such as a federal minimum wage hike to $15-an-hour - more than double the current $7.25-and-hour.

 

With the Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the tie-breaking vote, Democrats are considering using a parliamentary tool called "reconciliation" that would let the chamber approve the legislation with a simple majority. Under Senate rules, legislation usually requires 60 votes for passage.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Jarrett Renshaw; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Will Dunham and Colleen Jenkins)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-01

 

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The GOP let Trump jack up the federal deficit when the good times were rolling.  Now that they aren't, with the worst recession in recent history, they've gotten cold feet.

 

The future doesn't look bright with regards to the virus and the variants.  They need to go big.  The GOP desperately needs a reset.  Stunning when most of their supporters are now working class individuals who need this the most. 

 

 

Just print the greenbacks Joe, push up the gold price! 

I think both sides are asking for more/ less than they really want. The trouble is it will take a lot of time to come together with a compromise.

Deal with moderate Republicans, ignore tge rest.

21 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

I think both sides are asking for more/ less than they really want. The trouble is it will take a lot of time to come together with a compromise.

Until then, they should lose their pay and benefits.  Feel what it's like when you are out of a job.  Guaranteed, they'll act fast.

35 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Until then, they should lose their pay and benefits.  Feel what it's like when you are out of a job.  Guaranteed, they'll act fast.

That would be a valid point if most senators depended upon their salaries to get by.

35 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Until then, they should lose their pay and benefits.  Feel what it's like when you are out of a job.  Guaranteed, they'll act fast.

I think Biden should make a counter offer and limit the the people that receive payouts. The rich do not need it. I am for most of the rest.

The 600 billion from the Republicans is an insult from the party that gave 1.3 trillion over 10 years permanent tax break to corps.

16 minutes ago, placeholder said:

That would be a valid point if most senators depended upon their salaries to get by.

But they rely heavily on the benefits.  Medical especially.  I bet they act quickly then that's gone! LOL

 

Not all are rich, but some are very rich.  Like McConnell.

Give it a try remain true to your word and try to compermise if it isent acceptable then hammer down get it done and please make sure everyone knows who refused to compermise 

If Democrats pass 1.9 trillion budget—watch the Baht skyrocket up,  isn’t it high enough now?

I want my check. I want $2000 right now. And I want another $2000 a couple of months from now. For anybody who works against it, I'll work against them. 

32 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I want my check. I want $2000 right now. And I want another $2000 a couple of months from now. For anybody who works against it, I'll work against them. 

Now there's a fearsome threat.

3 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Now there's a fearsome threat.

I  actually think this check isn't the way to go. There are much better ways to make sure money gets to the right people. Ones in need. Many don't really need this check.

There's validity to the GOP's stance that the $1400 dollar check should be means tested and only the most needy get it. By ruling out those that don't need it, you could slash this $1.9 trillion by a considerable amount but the main issue is the time it would take to work out the deserving from the not-so-deserving.
Biden wants things moving now and understands timing is of the essence. 
And yes it is hypocritical of the GOP to question the money when they backed so much tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. 

1 hour ago, Isaan sailor said:

If Democrats pass 1.9 trillion budget—watch the Baht skyrocket up,  isn’t it high enough now?

You didn't seem too bothered when Trump added $8 trillion to the national debt.

19 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

I  actually think this check isn't the way to go. There are much better ways to make sure money gets to the right people. Ones in need. Many don't really need this check.

You're right. It would be far better for it to go to the unemployed via that $600 per week supplemental payment instead of the current #300 or proposed #400.. But that's not going to happen for political reasons.

I read a news report over the weekend on the "reconciliation" approach for the Senate to pass bills by the regular majority approach, and the article said Obama and the Democrats used that to pass Obamacare, and the Republicans later used it to pass Trump's Republican tax plan.

 

Assuming both of the above are correct, I see no reason why the Senate Democrats should not use that approach now, if needed, in order to get a substantial coronavirus aid package passed, if necessary, over Republican objections.

 

The majority of Senate Republicans make it clear where they're going to stand in the coming months and years...when 45 of them voted the other day to claim that the current impeachment of Trump is unconstitutional, despite historical precedent and the majority of legal scholars on the topic arguing otherwise.

 

Their vote was effectively condoning Trump's attempted insurrection against the U.S. government and elections system and democracy, which took form in many ways going beyond just the Capitol Hill riot and seizure, which was just the capstone of a months long anti-democratic campaign he waged.

 

The majority of Americans who voted for Biden over Trump want RESULTS... not another 4 years of Republican Senate obstructionism. Go Big, or go Home.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

Now there's a fearsome threat.

 

Nice to see you have such a loathsome view of democracy. Because that is what people do in democratic nations, endorse and work for candidates who aid them and work against those who oppose and would damage them. 

21 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The majority of Americans who voted for Biden over Trump want RESULTS... not another 4 years of Republican Senate obstructionism. Go Big, or go Home.

 

Put succinctly and accurately. No more fiddle faddle. Time to get what we voted for.

3 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Put succinctly and accurately. No more fiddle faddle. Time to get what we voted for.

 

In the examples I cited above, it occurs to me that, legislatively speaking, Obamacare was certainly the signature achievement of Obama's presidency... And it could be equally argued that Trump's Republican tax package, for better or worse, was the signature of his 4 years too long tenure.

 

Biden has made it clear that responding to the CV pandemic, getting people vaccinated, stopping/curtailing the mass deaths and illnesses, and getting the country and its citizens back on their feet in economic terms are his highest priority for now.

 

So, let's pursue the goal of getting a meaningful/substantive/impactful CV pandemic relief package passed and enacted sooner rather than later. Because it too may well end up becoming either the signature legislative success or failure of Biden's presidential tenure.

 

6 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Nice to see you have such a loathsome view of democracy. Because that is what people do in democratic nations, endorse and work for candidates who aid them and work against those who oppose and would damage them. 

And how does your promise to fight for multiple $2000 payouts advance the conversation?  What economic arguments have you ever provided to justify your support? Believe it or not, this thread isn't about you, an anonymous member of thaivisa.com. For all we know, your pledges could just be a bit of satire or a sendup.

1 hour ago, johnnybangkok said:

There's validity to the GOP's stance that the $1400 dollar check should be means tested and only the most needy get it. By ruling out those that don't need it, you could slash this $1.9 trillion by a considerable amount but the main issue is the time it would take to work out the deserving from the not-so-deserving.
Biden wants things moving now and understands timing is of the essence. 
And yes it is hypocritical of the GOP to question the money when they backed so much tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. 

They are not just hypocrites. They really don’t care about anybody but themselves. Self Serving bunch of <deleted>%*ups.

3 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

If Democrats pass 1.9 trillion budget—watch the Baht skyrocket up,  isn’t it high enough now?

So, you want me to vote/support a budget spending proposal on the basis of, not what helps my fellow Americans, but rather what helps me personally with the baht exchange rate? Hmm, sorry, I give a damn about others. They are hurting worse than me ...

1 hour ago, johnnybangkok said:

There's validity to the GOP's stance that the $1400 dollar check should be means tested and only the most needy get it. By ruling out those that don't need it, you could slash this $1.9 trillion by a considerable amount but the main issue is the time it would take to work out the deserving from the not-so-deserving.
Biden wants things moving now and understands timing is of the essence. 
And yes it is hypocritical of the GOP to question the money when they backed so much tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. 

I have no problem with the proposal of means testing, as stated. I would oppose cutting aid to public education.

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Republicans press Biden to downsize $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

This is the start of stuffing up the USA,  Go Joe go.

2 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

There's validity to the GOP's stance that the $1400 dollar check should be means tested and only the most needy get it. By ruling out those that don't need it, you could slash this $1.9 trillion by a considerable amount but the main issue is the time it would take to work out the deserving from the not-so-deserving.
Biden wants things moving now and understands timing is of the essence. 
And yes it is hypocritical of the GOP to question the money when they backed so much tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. 

Imo try compermise first if it doesent work just do it the dems have control.1400$ is about what was normally withheld taxes on a weekly basis from my pay check(fed and state combined)it would be nice to have some returned and btw the money would go rite back into the economy supporting businesses get her done Joe try nice first if not hammer down!

21 minutes ago, digger70 said:

This is the start of stuffing up the USA,  Go Joe go.

 

[Sarcasm alert...]  I'm waiting for Trump (ya right....) to come out publicly and support Biden's plan to give another $1400 in CV relief payments to individual Americans. Trump did, after all, briefly and publicly support that plan in the waning days of his administration, after his administration and Senate Republicans consistently fought prior, more substantive CV relief proposals advanced by the Democrats.

 

But of course, Trump won't do that, because he's at-heart a totally unprincipled egotist who's only interested in doing what he thinks will benefit himself, and could care less about what becomes of ordinary Americans. So the last thing he'd ever do would be to support anything to help ordinary Americans proposed by President Biden, the man who kicked Trump out of the White House, even if Trump had himself publicly supported the same thing.

 

Even beyond ordinary Americans, Trump even could care less of what happens with his own crazed rioting supporters who overran the U.S. Capitol, threatening to lynch his own vice president and attack or hold hostage Democratic lawmakers. None of them, much to their dismay, as they later discovered, ended up on Trump's departing presidential pardons list.

 

"Court records indicate Chansley told investigators he attended the riot specifically "at the request of the president that all 'patriots' come to D.C. on January 6," according to the AP.

 

Watkins told the AP that after Trump failed to pardon him or other participants in the insurrection, his client “felt like he was betrayed by the president.”

 

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/536427-lawyer-says-qanon-shaman-capitol-rioter-wants-to-testify-in

 

So no, not holding out any hope that Trump's going to step forward and publicly support the additional CV relief payments that President Biden has proposed for ordinary Americans. Tee time, the golf course is calling.

 

 

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Cassidy added that their plan included less school funding

Translation - defund the schools

57 minutes ago, digger70 said:

This is the start of stuffing up the USA,  Go Joe go.

And the last 4 years have been what exactly?