Washington – Congress Democrats are preparing to proceed with a procedure that will allow them to pass legislation on coronavirus relief without any Republican votes, in case lawmakers are unable to draft a two-party agreement on a new round of federal aid.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that the House will bring a budget resolution to the floor next week, the first step in the process of budget reconciliation to pass an account. Republicans have expressed concern about the price tag of President Biden’s $ 1.9 billion relief proposal, which means the bill may not get enough votes to advance in the Senate without using reconciliation.
“I hope we do not need it, but if necessary, we will have it,” Pelosi told reporters on Thursday about the option to use budget reconciliation, a maneuver that could be used to pass the bill by a simple majority. in the Senate. “We want it to always be twofold, but we can not give up.”
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a Senate floor speech Thursday that the upper house next week “will begin the process of considering a very strong COVID bill”.
“We prefer to make this important work dual, to include input, ideas and revisions from our Republican colleagues or dual efforts to do the same. But if our Republican colleagues decide to oppose this urgent and necessary legislation, we have to move forward without them, “said Schumer. The White House has indicated that it is not prepared to split the proposal into smaller bills, hoping to reach an agreement on a larger package.
Democrats have a slim majority of 50 seats in the Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting a casting vote, and most legislation requiring 60 votes in the Senate to end the debate. Unless the Democrats get support from ten Republicans, the proposal will not move forward. The White House is in talks with a dual group of 16 senators to formulate an agreement, but even if all eight Republicans in the coalition would agree to vote for the bill, Democrats would need two more Republican votes to reach the threshold of 60 to reach votes.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, told reporters earlier this week that the Democrats are writing a budget resolution that could be submitted as early as next week.
“Everyone wants to work in a dual way, we hope Republicans will get on board. But the fact is that this country is experiencing an unprecedented crisis today in terms of the pandemic,” Sanders told reporters on Wednesday. “We have a problem, the American people are hurting, and we need to respond quickly. I hope my Republican colleagues get on board. But if we do not move forward.”
Budget reconciliation speeds up House and Senate procedures and allows certain types of legislation to proceed with just a simple majority, meaning Democrats do not need Republican votes to pass the bill.
“I certainly hope we have a dual approach, but we need a substantial approach. We need it in time and I hope they will work with us,” said Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, one of the members of the dual group, said. with the White House, said Thursday. He also said that Mr. Biden called Republican senators, saying the president had “had direct personal outreach to these Republicans in the hope that we could do so on a dual basis.”
Durbin warns there is a ‘very real possibility’ that Congress could continue the budget reconciliation process if they cannot reach an agreement soon. But by passing on the aid proposal through budget reconciliation, the message of Mr. Biden undermines that he wants to work with Republicans on a bipartisan basis, and wants to sow distrust among Republicans against the government.
“It will send a signal to America and to Republicans throughout Congress that the president’s message of unity was rhetorical as opposed to content,” Republican Senator Todd Young told reporters on Thursday about the possibility of passing the proposal through of budget reconciliation.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a member of the dual group of senators who met with White House chief economic adviser Brian Deese on Sunday to discuss the relief package, is increasingly concerned about the Biden government’s approach to working with Republicans on the measure.
“It’s good to talk about duality, but it’s much better to actually do it,” Portman told reporters on Tuesday. “If the House decides to continue with the reconciliation approach, which is a way of working with Republicans, I think it would not only be a big mistake at this stage at the beginning of this government, but given irresponsibly. what about the COVID-19 package. “
The use of budget conciliation has a great advantage – the legislation may be subject to what is popularly known as the ‘Byrd rule’, which limits the provisions that can be included. The rule, named after the late Senator Robert Byrd, prohibits ‘foreign’ provisions in conciliation, so that only items affecting federal budget expenditures are included. Some provisions in the proposal of mr. Bids, such as raising the minimum wage to $ 15 per hour and implementing paid family leave, may not qualify for inclusion under the Byrd rule.
Republican Senator John Cornyn warned that breaking the Byrd rule to pass a minimum wage of $ 15 would “destroy the Senate as an institution just as badly as eliminating the filibuster.” The elimination of the legislative filibuster, a step supported by progressives in Congress, will make all legislation pass by a simple majority.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterates calls that President Biden still wants the COVID-19 relief package to be two-pronged, as Congress Democrats want to use the procedure as a vehicle to carry a COVID-19 relief package to pass an ordinary majority vote. But she said Republicans can participate through reconciliation, even if Republicans object to the key components of the proposal.
“Republicans can still vote for a package” when it comes to reconciliation, Psaki said.
On the question of whether Mr. Biden will sign a bill that has no Republican support, Psaki replied: Well, we are not quite there, it brings us a few steps ahead of where we are now. ‘
One of the top officials of the administration in Biden made a call with the Senate Democrats on Thursday afternoon and answered questions that ‘it’s all about policy’, one participant in the call said.
There was ‘no discussion of the breakthrough’, i.e. the idea of breaking up the legislation into different parts, this participant said.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the call was “excellent,” adding that the COVID-19 aid package should not be split.
“We have to do it all together. It all fits together,” Blumenthal said. “I have, I have no tolerance for delay. I have no patience to waste time, we have to do it all together. I think that is the general feeling in the caucus.”
The White House poured cold water on the idea of splitting a package Thursday.
“We do not want to divide the package. This is not a proposal from the White House,” Psaki said.
Ed O’Keefe, Jack Turman and Kathryn Watson reported.