- The Biden administration’s first major move is a $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package.
- This novel coronavirus aid round is already facing political and logistical hurdles in Congress.
- Beyond the Republican opposition, prominent Senate Democrats will also need to be persuaded.
- For more stories, visit the Business Insider homepage.
President Joe Biden is currently facing political and logistical obstacles. 1.9 trillion dollar incentive scheme.
The new coronavirus aid round may not get votes until mid-March, when the weekly unemployment benefit expires. Punchbowl News reported.
Last week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Ready to vote the bill until the first week of February.
But things get complicated on the Senate side. With rogue rule If the Democrats fail to get 10 Republicans to attend the closing debate and continue with a vote, the bill could be derailed. clotting.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has significant pressure on the process, given the 50-50 split and the power-sharing agreement between the two parties.
Two members of the Democratic party can prevent the incentive package from passing as written.
Sens from West Virginia. Joe Manchin and Angus King of Maine, objected to certain aspects of the offerLike direct payments that go to families that earn $ 300,000 a year.
Like Insider’s Joseph Zeballos-Roig reported last weekReady to have significant influence on any major law enforced by Manchin, Biden and the Democrats.
Manchin is a moderate with several positions that conflict with the Democratic consensus, particularly on deficit spending and climate change. SHE IS supported the coal industry and Expressed doubts about the excessively wide use of direct payments.
There is a way for the Democrats to pass the bill without a 60-vote, unpretentious majority.
Instead of going the traditional route, Democrats can use the budget-reconciliation process that allows them to pass the bill with just 51 votes. This could theoretically happen without Republican support and with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.
Senator Bernie Sanders, the new head of the budget committee, advocated the use of budget consensus on a variety of issues. Sanders once again called for the weekendDemocrats “cannot wait for weeks” for GOP support, he says.
At a briefing last week, Jen Psaki, press secretary of the White House, said did not rule out budget reconciliation.
However, going through budget consensus may not be a faster way to approve the bill than getting 60 votes.
The compromise comes with a so-called vote, where any senator can propose a change to the bill. When was this the last time Was with the tax bill in 2017When more than 700 changes.
According to Punchbowl News, this time it could be more than 1,000.
Apart from this, more than one House and Senate committee will have to essentially rewrite the bill. The scope of Biden’s incentive scheme would normally require more committees than usual to be involved in a process dominated by the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate finance committee.
It is still early for the Biden administration, but many things must go on at the same time for the stimulus package to sit on the president’s desk by February.