United States President Joe Biden estimated Wednesday that he could count on the support of “some Republicans” for his economic aid plan.
The new White House tenant, who presented a project to support the economy for $ 1.9 trillion, he hopes to reach a political consensus and to strengthen his image as a man of dialogue.
But the discussions about help cope with the crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic are intense and the chance of getting the Republican votes to pass the bill seems to be getting a little higher every day.
When asked about the possibility of gaining support from the Republican opposition, Biden replied, “I think we’ll have some Republicans.”
On Monday, Biden met with a dozen Republicans who, fearing the increase in government debt, proposed an alternative plan for $ 618 billion, with no aid to state and local governments, and offers less help to people.
But Biden, who took office and called for unity in a deeply divided country, said he was unwilling to cut the number of American checks.
“People need it and frankly they have been promised”, said in a conference call Biden had with House Democrats, the recording of which was being played by CNN. “I’m not going to start my administration by breaking a promise to the American people,” he added.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday of the Republican proposal that with such a small amount we would be trapped in the COVID crisis for years.
“We want a deal with both sides, but we have to be strong” to move the presidential plan forward, Schumer said Wednesday.
In this context, Democrats could decide to move forward on their own.
On Tuesday, Democrats in the Senate voted to pass the bill by simple majority, rather than 60 votes out of 100 as required by the usual procedure.
This would allow for a quick exit, with 50 Democratic senators. Because in a tie vote, Vice President Kamala Harris will keep the tie with her vote.
Following the swift approval of a massive support plan by both parties in late March, Only in December could elected officials agree on a new aid package. Then it took then President Donald Trump a week to ratify the text.
The delay cost unemployed Americans $ 17.6 billion, who saw their aid shut down for several weeks, according to a study published Tuesday by think tank The Century Foundation.