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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 4 February 2021
Biden flexible on who gets aid, tells lawmakers to ‘go big’

Continued from Front assistance and other pan-
demic aid measures expire.
While Biden is trying to Money for vaccine distri-
build bipartisan support butions, direct payments
from Republicans, he is to households, school reo-
also prepared to rely on penings and business aid
the Democratic majority are at stake.
in Congress to push his top White House Press Secre-
agenda item into law. Ob- tary Jen Psaki said the pres-
jecting to the president’s ident fully recognizes the
package as excessive, final package may look
Republicans proposed different than the one he
a $618 billion alternative initially proposed.
with slimmer $1,000 direct She said further target-
payments and zero aid for ing the $1,400 payments
states and cities. But Biden “means not the size of the
panned the GOP package check, it means the in-
as insufficient even as he come level of the people
continues private talks with who receive the check.”
Republicans on potential That’s under discussion, she
areas of compromise. said. As lawmakers in Con-
In his meeting with Sen- gress begin drafting the de-
ate Majority Leader Chuck tails of the package, Biden
Schumer and 10 top Sen- is taking care to shore up Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, speaks to family during a ceremony
ate Democrats in the Oval his allies while also ensuring memorializing U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, as an urn with his cremated remains lies
Office, the president ex- that the final product fulfills in honor on a black-draped table at the center of the Capitol Rotunda, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021,
in Washington.
pressed confidence that his promise for bold relief to Associated Press
the relief package would a battered nation.
still win over GOP votes and House Democrats were and you’ve got mine.” Wednesday and Thursday tives.
be bipartisan. told on the call with the As the White House reaches in the House. “They’ve chosen a totally
“I think we’ll get some Re- president that they could for a bipartisan bill, House “We want to do it bipar- partisan path,” McConnell
publicans,” he said at the be flexible on some num- and Senate Democrats tisan, but we must be said. “That’s unfortunate.”
start of the meeting. bers and programs, but have launched a lengthy strong,” Schumer said af- The two sides are far apart.
With a rising virus death toll should not back down on budget process for approv- ter the 90-minute session The cornerstone of the
and strained economy, the the size or scope of the aid. ing Biden’s bill with or with- at the White House. Demo- GOP plan is $160 billion for
goal is to have COVID-19 “We have to go big, not out Republican support. crats are “working with our the health care response
relief approved by March, small,” Biden told the Dem- Voting started Tuesday in Republican friends, when — vaccine distribution, a
when extra unemployment ocrats. “I’ve got your back, the Senate and was set for we can.” “massive expansion” of
The swift action follows testing, protective gear
Tuesday’s outreach as Bi- and money for rural hospi-
den and Treasury Secre- tals, similar to what Biden
tary Janet Yellen joined the has proposed for aid spe-
Democratic senators for cific to the pandemic.
a private virtual meeting, But from there, the two
both declaring the Repub- plans drastically diverge.
licans’ $618 billion offer was Biden proposes $170 billion
too small. for schools, compared with
Both Biden and Yellen re- $20 billion in the Repub-
called the lessons of the lican plan. Republicans
government response to also would give nothing to
the 2009 financial crisis, states, money that Demo-
which some have since crats argue is just as impor-
said was inadequate as tant, with $350 billion in Bi-
conditions worsened. den’s plan to keep police,
Schumer said of the Re- fire and other workers on
publican proposal: “If we the job.
did a package that small, The GOP’s $1,000 direct
we’d be mired in the COV- payments would go to few-
ID crisis for years.” er people — those earning
Earlier in the week, Biden up to $40,000 a year, or
met with 10 Republican $80,000 for couples. Biden’s
senators who were pitch- bigger $1,400 payments
ing their $618 billion alter- would extend to higher in-
native, and told them he come levels, up to $300,000
won’t delay aid in hopes of for some families.
winning GOP support even The Republicans offer $40
as talks continue. billion for Paycheck Protec-
Senate Republican leader tion Program business aid.
Mitch McConnell criticized But gone are Democratic
the Democrats for pressing priorities such as a grad-
ahead largely on their own ual lifting of the federal
as the GOP senators try to minimum wage to $15 an
provide bipartisan alterna- hour.q