Posted on 02/05/2021 7:24:07 AM PST by Red Badger
Congressional Democrats are preparing to leave Republicans behind as they push forward with another COVID-19 relief bill.
With a 50/50 party split in the Senate, congressional Democrats have spent the past week discussing using a budget reconciliation bill to pass their COVID-19 relief with just a simple majority.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed in a Thursday press conference that Democrats would pass the reconciliation “if we need it” — but some centrist Republicans reportedly aren’t thrilled.
Pelosi sent a letter to her colleagues Wednesday with this message:
“On the legislative front, we are grateful to our Committee Chairs, who are working on coronavirus relief legislation as a basis for reconciliation, should that step be needed. We hope and expect Republicans in Congress will support assistance that will bring relief to their communities. But the need for action could not be more urgent, and Democrats will not take any tools off the table as to how the House and Senate can get this package done.”
As Punchbowl News reported Thursday morning:
“There’s frustration on the Republican side” of the so-called “Sweet 16” of bipartisan centrist senators with this plan. These centrists — namely Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) — “say Democrats are moving way too quickly toward budget reconciliation, which they take as a signal that Democrats have no interest in the GOP’s support,” sources tell Punchbowl News.
Murkowski publicly said Wednesday that it would be “wise” for President Biden “to work to try to get a bipartisan proposal,” especially given his Inauguration Day comments regarding “unity and working together.”
But as Democrats see it, there’s no time to waste. COVID-19 continues to spread rampantly across the U.S., vaccine distribution is lagging, and millions of Americans are still out of work.
There’s also slim chance Republicans will agree to more than a $500 billion relief bill, while Biden is pushing for a $1.9 trillion package and soon-to-be Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wants to toss a $15/hour minimum wage into the mix.
Congress is expected to write a bill reflecting President Joe Biden’s framework.
His proposal calls for $1,400 direct payments for most Americans, a $400 per week jobless benefit through September, a $20 billion vaccination program, and $350 billion in support for state and local governments, among a range of other policies.
Senate Democrats would need to win 10 Republican votes to pass a bill under the regular process.
The task appears difficult, as a group of GOP senators who met with the president countered his proposal with a $618 billion plan.
In other words dems won’t even need rinos help to destroy America from within
Owning the Death of the Nation.
Did these “centrists” really think that Biden wasn’t using them as props? Well yes they did cause Donald Trump was a very mean person on twitter
The Republicans should treat this like they did Obamacare.
But they won’t.
L
“Congress is expected to write a bill reflecting President Joe Biden’s framework.”
...Biden didn’t win the Presidency. I wish they’d quit referring to him as such.
The Despotic Party of BECAUSE WE SAY SO
It’s better if the Dems go it alone. They will wear the blame of what happens.
Same process they used to foist Obamacare on the American people.
And gone from the media is Slow Joe’s promise of $2000. We’ll never hear about that again...
Biden isn't using anyone...he's just a stooge being used by those who control the DNC.
See how they are unifying the country and working with republicans. Unlike those evil republicans.
So in other words whoever is controlling Biden is laughing at the GOP I see
Why not just “deem” it passed like they did with the Obamacare.
Go right ahead Nan, because you will be solely responsible when the bottom falls out of the economy.
If this is a surprise to anyone, they have not been paying attention!
That is essentially what they are doing.................
>>We hope and expect Republicans in Congress will support assistance that will bring relief to their communities.
This itch opposed it for most of last year. Didn’t want to give people aid before the November election.
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