• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Despite ‘Productive’ Republican Meeting, Biden Will Not Accept a Scaled-Down COVID-19 Bill: White House

Despite ‘Productive’ Republican Meeting, Biden Will Not Accept a Scaled-Down COVID-19 Bill: White House

February 2, 2021
New GOP Bill Pushes Punishment for Cities Defying Trump DHS

New GOP Bill Pushes Punishment for Cities Defying Trump DHS

June 16, 2025
Trump Admin Weighs Adding 36 Countries to Travel Ban List: Report

Trump Admin Weighs Adding 36 Countries to Travel Ban List: Report

June 16, 2025
Randi Weingarten Quits DNC

Randi Weingarten Quits DNC

June 16, 2025
‘Not Necessarily Based On The Law’: Gregg Jarrett Predicts How Trump’s Harvard Policy Will Fare In Court

‘Not Necessarily Based On The Law’: Gregg Jarrett Predicts How Trump’s Harvard Policy Will Fare In Court

June 16, 2025
Trump Calls on ICE to Expand Deportation Efforts in Dem-Run Cities

Trump Calls on ICE to Expand Deportation Efforts in Dem-Run Cities

June 16, 2025
Suspect In Assassination Of Minnesota Lawmaker Captured

Suspect In Assassination Of Minnesota Lawmaker Captured

June 15, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Trump Small Biz Czar Slams Newsom For Siding With Illegals Over Local Businesses

EXCLUSIVE: Trump Small Biz Czar Slams Newsom For Siding With Illegals Over Local Businesses

June 15, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Trump VA Sec Urges Vets To Give Maligned Agency Second Chance

EXCLUSIVE: Trump VA Sec Urges Vets To Give Maligned Agency Second Chance

June 15, 2025
Rand Paul Says What Could Make Him A ‘Yes’ On Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Rand Paul Says What Could Make Him A ‘Yes’ On Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

June 15, 2025
Numerous Anti-ICE Protesters Arrested In NYC

Numerous Anti-ICE Protesters Arrested In NYC

June 15, 2025
‘Overwhelmingly Peaceful’: Karen Bass Describes Protest From Comfort Of A Helicopter

‘Overwhelmingly Peaceful’: Karen Bass Describes Protest From Comfort Of A Helicopter

June 15, 2025
Rioters Storm Oregon ICE Building, Injure Officers

Rioters Storm Oregon ICE Building, Injure Officers

June 15, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Monday, June 16, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Despite ‘Productive’ Republican Meeting, Biden Will Not Accept a Scaled-Down COVID-19 Bill: White House

by Reuters
February 2, 2021
in News
237 15
3
Despite ‘Productive’ Republican Meeting, Biden Will Not Accept a Scaled-Down COVID-19 Bill: White House

FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol dome is seen in Washington, U.S., December 10, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

After meeting with Republican senators at the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden appeared poised to push forward with his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan even if it fails to draw Republican support.

While the White House termed Biden’s discussion with 10 Republicans who pitched a downsized relief effort as “productive,” the Democratic president told the senators their plan did not go far enough.

Biden told the group “that he will not slow down work on this urgent crisis response, and will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

The Republicans who attended the meeting are pushing a COVID-19 relief proposal about one third the size of Biden’s.

Earlier on Monday, top Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives filed a joint $1.9 trillion budget measure, a step toward bypassing Republicans altogether on a new virus relief bill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the plan for the fiscal-year 2021 budget measure in the Senate and House, saying it would allow Congress to fast-track a coronavirus package for passage by both chambers.

The measure would allow Democrats to bypass a 60-vote threshold in the closely divided Senate and enact coronavirus legislation with a simple majority through a procedure called reconciliation.

It would mark the first time congressional Democrats used the maneuver to flex their legislative muscle since winning razor-thin control of the Senate in two runoff elections last month in Georgia.

The 100-seat Senate is divided 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote to give Democrats the majority.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to meet with Senate Democrats on the relief measure on Tuesday, the department said.

Schumer spoke ahead of the Oval Office meeting on Monday evening among Biden, Harris and the 10 Republican senators, who have proposed a $618 billion relief package.

Susan Collins, one of the Republicans attending, said the discussion was “frank and useful” but yielded no breakthroughs. She said the sides would keep talking.

What “we did agree to do was to follow up and talk further at the staff level and amongst ourselves and with the president and vice president on how we can continue to work together on this very important issue,” Collins said.

Biden affirmed to the group, however, that he was prepared to push through a comprehensive bill with a party-line vote, Psaki said.

The president “reiterated that while he is hopeful that the Rescue Plan can pass with bipartisan support, a reconciliation package is a path to achieve that end,” Psaki said.

COVID-19 has claimed more than 440,000 lives in the United States, the most of any country, and cost millions of Americans their jobs.

‘MUST-HAVES’

The Republican plan offers no assistance to state and local governments, one of the items that a Biden adviser described as “must-haves” for Democrats in Congress.

According to details released by the lawmakers, the Republican proposal also falls short on another must-have by offering only $1,000 in direct payments to Americans, compared with the $1,400 sought by Biden.

“We have not seen many red lines drawn publicly by Democrats in Congress. I think we will see those red lines if the White House considers taking some things out or delaying some items,” the adviser said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Passage of new relief legislation would not only affect Americans and businesses but offer an early test of Biden’s promise to work to bridge the partisan divide in Washington.

Ten Republican votes, combined with the backing of 50 Democrats and independents, would be enough to move bipartisan legislation quickly through the Senate. There was little cooperation between the two parties on major legislation in Congress under Republican former President Donald Trump.

Senator Pat Toomey, who does not back the compromise proposal offered by fellow Republicans, said in a statement that the government needed to focus on vaccine distribution at this juncture of the pandemic rather than economic stimulus.

“Once we’ve made significant progress on this goal, then Congress can revisit what pockets of the economy still require assistance,” Toomey said.

(Reporting by David Morgan and Jarrett Renshaw; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Heather Timmons and Peter Cooney)

Tags: CongressCoronavirus OutbreakJoe Biden
Share196Tweet123
Reuters

Reuters

Reuters is an international news organization.

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th