White House touts COVID relief bill as ‘transformational, frankly progressive’ legislation before House vote

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield remained assured Sunday that President Biden‘s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill narrowly handed by the Senate over the weekend would in the end attain the president’s desk, as the legislation is up for a vote within the House this week the place Democrats maintain a slender majority.

In an look on CNN’s “State of Union,” Bedingfield described the bill — referred to as American Rescue Plan – as a “historic and transformational piece of legislation” that may “cut child poverty in half” by making investments within the little one tax credit score, fund a vaccine program and get cash out to varsities to reopen, even with the nation strapped with $28 trillion in debt.

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“This is an incredibly transformational, frankly progressive piece of legislation,” Bedingfield informed CNN host Jake Tapper, who questioned whether or not the bill has sufficient votes within the House to cross. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., can solely afford to lose 4 votes and nonetheless ship the bill to Biden’s desk for his first main legislative win. Progressives within the House have raised considerations about adjustments to the bill that remove the $15 minimal federal wage, decrease weekly unemployment advantages from $400 to $300, and restrict earnings eligibility for stimulus checks.

“You heard Sen. [Bernie] Sanders say that this was the best legislation for working people in the modern history of this country,” Bedingfield mentioned. “This is a bill that reflects President Biden’s belief that the best way to get the economy back on track and get it growing is to invest in working people and middle-class people.”

Acknowledging assist from Sanders, Tapper identified that different progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., each have voiced criticism of the legislation.

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And the Senate parliamentarian dominated that the bill’s transfer to lift the federal minimal wage to $15 per hour would violate price range guidelines.

Some Republicans mentioned they’d assist amending the federal minimal wage to $10 an hour, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., mentioned he supported an $11 an hour change to the bill.

Despite claiming Biden is prepared to work with Republicans, Bedingfield mentioned that the president helps a $15 an hour hike. 

“President Biden supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour,” Bedingfield mentioned. “That is where he stands. That is where he stood for a long time. He believes strongly that people who are in this country who are working full time can make a living wage and not be living in poverty.”

“The conversation is going to turn to how we tackle the minimum wage,” she continued. “The president is looking forward to working with Congress to determine the best way to do it. What I can say to you right now is the president is committed to raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.”

Biden cheered the passage Saturday, dismissing the shortage of any GOP assist within the Senate or House, and mentioned he hasn’t given up on working with Republicans on future legislation. Biden touted the relief provisions within the bill, together with unemployment advantages, meals help, vaccination distribution assist and the $1,400 stimulus funds. He informed Americans they’d be seeing these checks quickly.

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Bedingfield reiterated Sunday that Biden’s choice is to not finish the filibuster, saying the administration would wish to navigate by means of a 50-50 Senate. She mentioned that though the bill was handed with none Republican assist within the Senate, it did obtain 75% approval from the American individuals “including over 50% of Republicans” who rallied behind Biden’s method.

“We were able to pass this legislation with massive bipartisan support across the country,” she mentioned.

Fox News’ Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.