- Biden has indicated that he is prepared to pass his $ 1.9 billion stimulus package with only Democratic votes.
- Republicans are “just not willing to go as far as I think we should go,” the president said.
- He suggested that negotiations would delay the delivery of much-needed federal aid.
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President Joe Biden on Friday gave one of the strongest indications that he was prepared to pass on his $ 1.9 billion emergency package with only Democratic votes.
Biden said in remarks in the White House that he “wants to act quickly” and stressed that his plan was designed to address the major challenges facing the country.
“I would like to do that with the support of Republicans. I have met with Republicans. There are some good people who want to do something,” he said. “But they just are not willing to go as far as I think we should go.”
Biden continues: ‘I have told Republicans as well as Democrats that it is my preference: to work together. But if I have to choose between getting help now for Americans who are getting so hurt and getting stuck in a long negotiation or compromising on a bill that meets the crisis, that’s an easy choice. ‘
The remarks apparently reflect a new willingness on the part of the president to embark on a biased path to get his rescue package approved more quickly. Democrats this week made efforts to implement the plan through budget reconciliation, a legislative maneuver that would allow the passage of a bill by a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the 60 normally required.
The plan includes $ 1,400 stimulus checks, $ 400 federal unemployment benefits and assistance to state and local governments. Republicans have spoken out strongly, arguing that it is an enormous level of unorthodox spending on progressive priorities.
So far, the White House has given a group of ten Republican senators the court to add a layer of doubles to the relief effort. The group, led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, proposed a $ 618 billion measure on Monday, but Democrats rejected it as too meager.
The senators said in a letter to the White House on Thursday that they were “committed to working in two ways and hope that you will take our views into account as the legislative process moves forward.”
Senior officials have rejected everything but their plan at this stage.
“We are not going to sit here and wait for an ongoing negotiation,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing on Friday. “Honestly, we did not receive an offer in return, a response to what the president proposed.”
It was unclear whether the IDP senators would try to continue negotiations with the White House.
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