Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, listened on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 during a hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Iran-America relations at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – A group of ten Republican senators has asked President Joe Biden to consider a smaller, alternative Covid-19 aid proposal as his government works to pass a $ 1.9 billion package to mitigate the economic consequences of the cause pandemic, to address.
In a letter to Biden on Sunday, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and five other lawmakers said they would announce their proposed legislation Monday.
“We acknowledge your calls for unity and want to work with your government in good faith to address the health, economic and social challenges of the Covid crisis,” the senators wrote.
“With your support, we believe that Congress can once again draw up an emergency relief package that will provide meaningful, effective assistance to the American people and put us on a path to recovery,” the group wrote to ask for a meeting with Biden. to the proposed legislation in more detail.
Republican senators have explained that their version of the Covid relief package offers ‘more targeted assistance’ to Americans in greatest need. The proposed legislation calls for a total of $ 160 billion for the development and distribution of vaccines, testing and detection, treatment as well as other important supplies.
The senators set out the following details of their plan:
- An additional round of economic impact payments for families who need the most help, including their dependent children and adults.
- Extend enhanced federal unemployment benefits at current levels.
- Fully fund nutrition assistance to help struggling families.
- Additional resources to help small businesses and their employees through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Loan Program.
- Fund resources for opening schools safely and for childcare.
- Provide $ 4 billion to strengthen health care and drug abuse.
Portman told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that the proposal would be a slimmer version of what was offered by the Biden government.
‘It will be less than $ 1.9 [trillion] “because much of the government’s imposition has nothing to do with Covid-19,” Portman explained. “As an example, with regard to direct payments, we think it should be much more targeted,” he added.
Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told MSNBC’s Meet the Press’ on Sunday that the White House had received the letter and that it could discuss the proposed legislation.
“The president has repeatedly said he is open to ideas wherever possible to improve the approach to tackling this crisis. What he is uncompromising about is the need to work quickly with a comprehensive approach here,” he said. said Deese. .
“We have been in talks with members of Congress from both parties and in both houses over the past week or two. We will continue to do so as we move forward,” he added.
Deese also told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the government is willing to negotiate the stimulus checks.
The Republican counter-proposal comes because the House will adopt a budget resolution this week, the first step toward approving the bill through reconciliation. The process would allow Senate Democrats to approve an aid measure without Republican support.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York announced last week that the House would also work to adopt a budget resolution soon. He said the Senate “will start the process next week of considering a very strong bill on Covid.”
Asked if Senate Democrats could pass the rescue bill through the reconciliation process, nervous Bernie Sanders of Vermont told ABC’s “This Week” that he believes the party has the votes to do so.
“It is difficult for me to imagine a Democrat, no matter what country he or she may come from, who does not understand the need to aggressively protect the working families of this country,” he said. Sanders said.
“Look, all of us will have differences of opinion, this is a $ 1.9 billion bill. I have differences and concerns about this bill, but at the end of the day we will support the President of the United States and we will do what the American people want us to do overwhelmingly, ‘he added.
CNBC’s Jacob Pramuk, Tucker Higgins and Emma Newburger contributed to this report from New York.