Biden meets Republicans as Dems push ahead on aid

President Joe Biden meet late Monday with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed $618 billion in coronavirus aid, about a third of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking as congressional Democrats vow to push ahead with or without GOP support. A photo-op in the Oval Office showed Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, meeting with the group of Senators.

The Republican group's proposal focuses on the pandemic's health effects, tapping into bipartisan urgency to shore up the nation's vaccine distribution and vastly expanding virus testing with $160 billion in aid. While that's the same as Biden's proposal, their slimmed down $1,000 direct payments would go to fewer households than the $1,400 Biden has proposed, and they offer a fraction of what he wants to re-open schools.

They also would give nothing to states, money that Democrats argue is just as important, with $350 billion in Biden's plan to keep police, fire and other workers on the job. Gone are Democratic priorities such as a gradual lifting of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.Engaging the White House in high-profile bipartisan talks is certain to appeal to Biden's wish to unify the nation. But Democrats announced Monday they were pushing ahead in the House and Senate on broader budget resolutions that will lay the groundwork for approving a COVID relief bill with a process that won't depend on Republican support for passage.

The overture from the coalition of 10 GOP senators, mostly centrists, is an attempt to show that at least some in the Republican ranks want to work with Biden's new administration, rather than simply operating as the opposition in the minority in Congress. But Democrats are wary of using too much time courting GOP support that may not materialize or delivering too meager a package as they believe happened during the 2009 recovery. An invitation to the GOP senators to meet at the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter on Sunday urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes.

The plea for Biden to give bipartisan negotiations more time comes as the president has shown signs of impatience as the more liberal wing of his party considers passing the relief package through a process known as budget reconciliation. That would allow the bill to pass with a 51-vote majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance.

(Image Credit: AP)