Biden to discuss pandemic relief with 10 GOP senators at White House
Ten Republican senators are slated to meet with Biden at the White House Monday at 5 p.m. after requesting the chance to pitch to the president their compromise to his COVID-19 relief bill, or as the Biden team has branded it, the "American Rescue Plan."
The GOP counterproposal, with a $617 billion price tag, costs about a third of Biden's $1.9 trillion proposal. The senators' plan keeps $160 billion for vaccine distribution but would more strictly target relief checks to those making less than $50,000 instead of $99,000 as with the previous two rounds. It does not include relief for state and local governments.
Democrats, who narrowly control the Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote, are moving to use special budget reconciliation rules to pass Biden’s package with a simple majority. Biden has said he hopes for unity and a bipartisan effort, but he's also a plan must pass, "no ifs, ands or buts."
Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said he hopes COVID-19 relief will be bipartisan but made clear Democrats are prepared to move forward on their own -- and with a plan which would include funding for state and local governments.
With just a week until former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial begins, the former president has a new legal team after all five of his previous lawyers quit over strategy disagreements. Trump's previous legal team wanted to argue the constitutionality of impeaching Trump after he has left office, while Trump wanted his team to argue there was election fraud. His new lawyers are David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr.
The White House will hold a press briefing with its COVID-19 response team Monday at 11 a.m. and a briefing with White House press secretary Jen Psaki at 12:30 p.m.
