Biden to meet Republicans as Democrats push ahead on COVID-19 aid

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden will meet late Monday with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed US$618 billion in coronavirus aid, about a third of the US$1.9 trillion he is seeking as congressional Democrats vow to push ahead with or without GOP support.

The Republican group's proposal focuses on the pandemic's health effects, tapping into bipartisan urgency to shore up the nation's vaccine distribution and vastly expanding virus testing with US$160 billion in aid. 

While that is the same as Biden's proposal, their slimmed down US$1,000 direct payments would go to fewer households than the US$1,400 Biden has proposed, and they offer a fraction of what he wants to re-open schools.

They also would give nothing to states, money that Democrats argue is just as important, with US$350 billion in Biden's plan to keep police, fire and other workers on the job.

Gone are Democratic priorities such as a gradual lifting of the federal minimum wage to US$15 an hour.

Engaging the White House in high-profile bipartisan talks is certain to appeal to Biden's wish to unify the nation. 

But Democrats announced on Monday they were pushing ahead in the House and Senate on broader budget resolutions that will lay the groundwork for approving a COVID relief bill with a process that won't depend on Republican support for passage.

READ: Democrats may move forward on COVID-19 aid without Republicans: Schumer

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that history is filled with “the costs of small thinking".

“The cost of inaction is high and growing, and the time for decisive action is now," he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement.

The goal is for approval of COVID relief by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires.

The overture from the coalition of 10 GOP senators, mostly centrists, is an attempt to show that at least some in the Republican ranks want to work with Biden’s new administration, rather than simply operating as the opposition in the minority in Congress. 

But Democrats are wary of using too much time courting GOP support that may not materialize or delivering too meager a package as they believe happened during the 2009 recovery.

The accelerating talks came as the Congressional Budget Office delivered mixed economic forecasts Monday with robust growth expected at a 4.5per cent annual rate but employment rates not to return to pre-pandemic levels for several years.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there is “obviously a big gap” between the US$1.9 trillion package Biden has proposed and the US$618 billion counteroffer.

Psaki said Monday that the meeting with Republican lawmakers would be an “exchange of ideas” but Biden would reiterate his stance that “the risk is not that it is too big, this package, the risk is that it is too small".

An invitation to the GOP senators to meet at the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter on Sunday urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes.

“We recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,” the 10 GOP senators wrote to Biden. “We share many of your priorities.”

The cornerstone of the GOP plan is US$160 billion for the health care response — vaccine distribution, a “massive expansion” of testing, protective gear and funds for rural hospitals, according to a draft.

Other elements of the package are similar to Biden's plan but at far lesser amounts, with US$20 billion to reopen schools compared to US$170 billion. 

The Republicans offer US$40 billion for Paycheck Protection Program business aid.

Under the GOP proposal, US$1,000 direct payments would go to individuals earning up to US$40,000 a year, or US$80,000 for couples.

The proposal would begin to phase out the benefit after that, with no payments for individuals earning more than US$50,000, or US$100,000 for couples. 

That is less than Biden’s proposal ofUS$1,400 direct payments at higher incomes levels.

With Biden's plan, the direct payments would be phased out at higher income levels, and families with incomes up to US$300,000 could receive some stimulus money.

The meeting to be hosted by Biden would amount to the most public involvement for the president in the negotiations for the next round of virus relief.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant for Biden in the 50-50 Senate where Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaker. If all Democrats were to back an eventual compromise bill, the legislation would reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome potential blocking efforts and pass under regular Senate procedures.

The plea for Biden to give bipartisan negotiations more time comes as the president has shown signs of impatience as the more liberal wing of his party considers passing the relief package through a process known as budget reconciliation.

 That would allow the bill to pass with a 51-vote majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance.

“If you can't find bipartisan compromise on COVID-19, I don't know where you can find it,” said Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who also signed the letter.

Brian Deese, the top White House economic adviser leading the administration’s outreach to Congress, indicated the administration could be open to negotiating on limiting the income thresholds for stimulus checks.

“That is certainly a place that we’re willing to sit down and think about, are there ways to make the entire package more effective?” Deese said.

Biden also spoke on Sunday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who are facing pressure from the more liberal Democratic members to move forward with Biden's legislation with or without Republican support.

The other GOP senators invited to meet with Biden are Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

As a candidate, Biden said his decades in the Senate and his eight years as Barack Obama's vice president give him credibility as a deal-maker and would help him bring Republicans and Democrats to consensus on the most important matters facing the country.

But less than two weeks into his presidency, Biden has shown frustration with the pace of negotiations at a time when the economy is showing further evidence of wear from the pandemic. 

Last week, 847,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits, a sign that layoffs remain high as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

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