Pelosi, Schumer announce bill to circumvent GOP on coronavirus Follow Us
Question of the Day By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Monday, February 1, 2021
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer revealed their 2021 budget on Monday, triggering the process that could allow them to pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill without any Republican support.
The aggressive move comes even as GOP senators were negotiating with Mr. Biden on a smaller deal they said could win bipartisan support.
Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Schumer, though, said they need a backup plan to be able to drive Mr. Biden’s proposal through if the GOP won’t sign off.
Democrats are rejecting a Republican pitch to split President Biden’s $1.9-trillion COVID-19 rescue plan into smaller chunks.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Biden had spoken with the leader of the group, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Though Biden wants “a full exchange of views,” Psaki reiterated that the president remains in favor of moving forward with a far-reaching relief package.
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“With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large,” Psaki said.
We re going to bring a budget resolution to the floor next week and then it will send it over to the Senate. Then, if they change it, then we ll take it back and address it. But by the end of the week, we will be finished with the budget resolution, she said.
The reconciliation instructions included in the budget resolution will likely sign off on $1.9 trillion in spending, in line with Biden s coronavirus proposal. Congressional committees would then be tasked with drafting pieces of the aid package.
Schumer hasn t formally locked the Senate into approving a budget resolution, but has warned that the chamber could vote as soon as this week. Passing the budget resolution through the Senate this week, aides acknowledge, would be an aggressive timeline that would include a marathon session known as a vote-a-rama.
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The Republican proposal totals $618 billion, according to details released by Collins s office on Monday morning. That is roughly a third of the $1.9 trillion plan proposed by Biden and backed by congressional Democrats.
The proposal includes $160 billion in pandemic response funding including protective equipment and more money for vaccine distribution. It also extends the $300 per week federal unemployment benefit through June 30.
The bill includes a $1,000 direct payment, compared to the $1,400 direct payment in Biden s plans, with $500 for adult dependents and children. The proposal also lowers the income cap for qualifying for the direct assistance.
Under previous coronavirus bills, individuals who make up to $75,000 would receive the check, with the amount of the payment phasing out after that. But under the GOP proposal individuals who make up to $40,000 would get a $1,000 check, with the amount of the check phasing out altogether at $50,000.