Biden suggests he would allow COVID-19 relief bill to go under ‘reconciliation’ with GOP backing

President Biden told reporters Thursday that coronavirus relief would be passed with or without the support of Congressional Republicans.

When asked if the president supports Democrats’ calls to use a legislative process known as fiscal “reconciliation” to get another congressional-accelerated stimulus package, Biden said, “I support its passage with Republican support if we can get it.

“But the relief must pass,” he added. “No ifs and or buts.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Announced Thursday that the House will bring forward a budget resolution next week for Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion relief package – the first step in moving a bill forward as part of the reconciliation process.

The Senate will then vote to adopt the resolution. Budget reconciliations only require a simple majority to pass, as opposed to the 60 votes required for most legislation. Democrats hold a majority in the House. The Senate is even, but Democrats have an effective majority because Vice President Kamala Harris has the deciding vote.

But the $ 1.9 trillion resolution is unlikely to garner much Republican support, as several GOP lawmakers have already expressed concern about the high price and strongly opposed increasing the previous amount allocated to checks. stimulus packages – even after President Trump called on them to do so. .

“I hope we don’t need it, but if necessary we will,” Pelosi told reporters on Thursday. “We want it to always be bipartisan, but we cannot surrender.”

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., reiterated Pelosi’s calls for a bipartisan bill, but said it would be passed “without” Republican lawmakers if they oppose the legislation.

“Our preference is to make this important work bipartisan, to include the contributions, ideas and reviews of our fellow Republican or bipartisan efforts to do the same. But if our fellow Republican decides to oppose this urgent legislation and necessary, we will have to move forward without them, “Schumer told the Senate Thursday.