Biden wants Congress to take action on gun reform

After nearly two hours in the Oval Office with Biden, the group of GOP senators departed -- stopping briefly for Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to speak to reporters.

Collins characterize the meeting as "productive" and "cordial" but did not say that any specific progress toward a compromise had been made. 

"I wouldn't say that we came together on a package tonight," Collins said. "But what we did agree to do is follow up and talk further at the staff level and amongst ourselves and with the president and vice president on how we can continue to work together on this very important issue." 

Collins said the group outlined their $600 billion package for Biden and that he explained aspects of his plan. Collins did not say how the GOP proposal was received by the president. 

She also expressed her appreciation for Biden's hosting. 

"We are very appreciative that as his first official meeting in the oval office the president chose to spend so much time with us in a frank and very useful discussion," Collins said.

The senators did not answer any questions shouted by reporters.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

The 10 Republican senators meeting with Biden at the White House on COVID-19 relief are expected to speak to reporters immediately following the Oval Office meeting.

The group -- led by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine -- includes Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Bill Cassidy, R-La., Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Todd Young, R-Ind., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

They unveiled the details of their COVID-19 relief proposal in a letter to the president on Sunday.

Congressional Democrats have filed a joint budget resolution for the 2021 fiscal year, kicking off the reconciliation process on Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the move in remarks from the Senate floor and declared that Democrats will continue to focus on "bold and robust action."

"It makes no sense to pinch pennies when so many Americans are suffering," Schumer said, echoing concerns of the White House. "The risk of doing too little is far greater than the risk of doing too much."

Schumer called the budget resolution an "additional legislative tool" to speed up COVID-19 passage, and in a joint statement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said the leaders are still holding out hope for a bipartisan agreement.

"We are hopeful that Republicans will work in a bipartisan manner to support assistance for their communities, but the American people cannot afford any more delays and the Congress must act to prevent more needless suffering," Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement Monday afternoon.

The budget resolution will next go through a Rules Committee meeting Tuesday. Final passage in the House could occur as early as Wednesday. If the Senate amends the resolution, the House will have to pass it again before the committees could begin work on the reconciliation instructions.

The move comes ahead of Biden meeting with 10 GOP lawmakers at the White House Monday evening.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan, Trish Turner and Allison Pecorin

Ahead of an evening meeting at the White House with Biden, 10 GOP senators -- led by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine -- outlined their $618 billion counterproposal to Biden's $1.9 trillion American Resue Plan to address COVID-19 relief, along with plans to address reporters following the Oval Office meeting.

"The message implicitly carried by these Republicans is look, we can get things done and carry things through the Senate if only you say yes to what we want, but for Biden, of course, that could come with a cost," said ABC News Political Director Rick Klein on Biden's imminent meeting with Republicans.

The GOP proposal removes certain elements of Biden's that have drawn ire from the GOP like increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and additional funding for state and local governments.

The plan extends unemployment insurance at $300 per week rather than $400, and lowers direct payments to Americans from $1400 for those making up to $75,000 to $1000 for those making up to $40,000. The Republican package also offers less funding for the continuation of the Paycheck Protection Program, and only provides $20 billion for schools, compared with the Biden administration's $170 billion proposal.

The meeting comes amid a push among Democrats on Capitol Hill to use an alternative, fast-track budgetary tool that would let them proceed on aid without Republican support. Congressional Democratic leaders said last week that GOP proposals did not go far enough, and on Friday, Biden signaled openness to potentially moving forward without Republicans.