Leader of the majority of the Senate Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Lies In Honor In Rotunda Democrats Offer Resolution Denouncing White Supremacists Ahead of Trump Lawsuit Lobbying World MORE (DN.Y.) said on Wednesday that Democrats are “united” about coronavirus relief becoming widespread after a meeting with President Biden.
“There is agreement, universal agreement. We have to go big and bold,” Schumer told reporters.
Biden met with Schumer and ten new Democratic committee chairmen who will lend a hand in drafting the coronavirus control bill. The Senate has yet to pass a budget resolution that gives the green light to pass coronavirus relief without overcoming a filibuster of 60 votes.
The meeting with senior Senate Democrats came after Biden held a call with House Democrats to discuss his $ 1.9 trillion proposal, which included a $ 1,400 stimulus check, $ 350 billion in state and local government support, unemployment insurance and a minimum wage hike to $ 15 per hour.
While Democrats will pass the budget resolution this week to pave the way for subsequent coronavirus legislation, they still need to reach an agreement on the final law.
Democrats have no room for error if they pass the legislation without GOP backing. They have a voting advantage of 10 seats in the House and will need the support of every member of the 50 Senators’ caucus to make it without GOP votes.
There are already points of contention, including striving to include a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour. Sen. Joe Manchin
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He also told Fox News he thinks the amount of money being asked for state and local governments is too high.
Democrats have also debated whether they should change the phasing out of emergency checks due to concerns that higher-income households who were ineligible for payments under the $ 600 check might receive immediate benefits.
Previous proposals to provide the $ 1,400 check sparked bipartisan skepticism in the Senate as they increased the number of checks but kept the same phase-out structure.
Biden told House Democrats that he was open to changing the eligibility for the $ 1,400 checks, but committed to paying the amount for the check.
Democrats say they also still hope that Republicans will eventually vote in favor of the coronavirus bill, although Republicans warn they see reconciliation as they indicate Democrats want to go it alone.
Schumer, speaking to reporters, warned they were not willing to “water down” the bill. A group of 10 Republicans threw a $ 618 billion package that Biden told them at a White House meeting with a closed door that was too low.
“We want to do it twofold, but we have to be strong. We can’t hang around, we can’t slow down, we can’t water down because the problems this nation has and the opportunities we can bring to them are so great,” said Schumer. .