Schumer urges Democrats to stick together on $1.9T bill
By Alexander Bolton - 02/23/21 03:06 PM EST Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned Senate Democrats, including centrists who are balking at certain elements of President Biden’s proposal, that failure to pass a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill would be a political disaster.
Schumer, who scored a win earlier this month when all 50 Democrats voted to pass a budget resolution laying the groundwork for the bill, told colleagues on a conference call they need to stay completely unified in the weeks ahead.
“I made a pitch today to our entire caucus and I said that we need to pass this bill. The American people, the American public demands it and everyone is going to have things that they want to see in the bill and we’ll work hard to see if we can get those things in the bill,†he told reporters after holding a call with the Senate Democratic caucus Tuesday.
“Job No. 1 is to pass the bill. Pass the bill we must. And I have confidence we will do it,†Schumer said after he was asked about the power of centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who says he opposes including a provision to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/540121-schumer-urges-democrats-to-stick-together-on-19t-bill
