Democrats begin drag-out budget process to pass COVID-19 relief
By Niv Elis - 02/02/21 06:00 AM EST
House and Senate Democrats on Monday filed their budget resolution, gearing up for a fight with Republicans that could end with a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill moving through the Senate with only the support of the chamber’s 50 Democrats.
Democrats and the Biden White House have yet to decide whether they’ll use budget reconciliation to eliminate the threat of a Republican filibuster to move their package.
President Biden is engaging with Senate Republicans who are backing a smaller $618 billion package, and he’s made clear he’d like to earn a bipartisan victory.
But the White House has also sent the unmistakable signal that they’re willing to use budget reconciliation to ram legislation through the Senate if they are unsatisfied with GOP concessions in order to get a bigger relief package.
And they’re prepping the budget measure as one alternative to get to the finish line, with the House expected to vote on the budget resolution Wednesday.
The reconciliation instructions follow the outlines of Biden’s proposal. It would provide for $1,400 stimulus checks, extend emergency unemployment benefits through September, give $350 billion in aid to state and local governments squeezed by the pandemic and fund an expanded vaccination and testing effort, among other priorities.
morehttps://thehill.com/policy/finance/536864-democrats-begin-drag-out-budget-process-to-pass-covid-19-relief
