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President-elect Joe Biden’s economic relief package against the coronavirus is expected to cost trillions, and transition officials on Tuesday briefed Democratic Congress staff on their priorities for the massive stimulus bill, told CBS News two people familiar with the plans.
Elements of the package that Mr. Biden sees as “critical” include stimulus payments of $ 2,000 for Americans, more money for cities and states to boost their response to COVID-19 and improve vaccine distribution and provide more funding to schools.
Mr Biden also wants to see another extension and increase in improved unemployment insurance benefits, which were extended last month and are expected to last until mid-March.
How will Biden convince Congress to pass this bill?
White House Biden is seeking bipartisan support for its COVID relief program, which could mean significant changes to the law to attract more Republican support. This target was also communicated to Congress assistants on Tuesday.
If Mr. Biden can’t come to an agreement with Senate Republicans, that package could go under reconciliation, a process sometimes used for spending measures. Under this approach, the bill would only require a simple majority to pass and would not be susceptible to blocking by filibuster. Most Senate bills require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. This option would be used to pass the part of the Biden team with only Democratic votes. Once the Georgia Senate election results are certified, there will be a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will sever all ties. With Harris as the 51st vote, Democrats will control the Senate.
President-elect Biden is expected to present his COVID relief proposal on Thursday. A Biden transition official on Wednesday did not respond when asked to comment.
This legislation is likely to face intense lobbying from members of Congress and special interests, which could affect the final price.
Some pieces of the legislation, like the $ 2,000 stimulus payments to Americans, are already enjoying bipartisan support. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida sent a letter on Tuesday imploring Mr. Biden to include the larger checks. The president-elect has been clamoring for the $ 2,000 checks for weeks and campaigned on the issue in Georgia ahead of the second round of Senate elections on Jan.5.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a 15-page letter to those responsible for Biden’s transition to lead the COVID-19 response in which she called for increased monitoring of the federal government’s response to the pandemic. Warren wants to see an increase in data collection and reporting of locations with frequent COVID-19 clusters, including assisted living centers and behavioral health clinics.
The incoming administration has sought comments on the legislation from heads of state and local. Biden staff members have been in “listen mode” with the offices of various governors to get their assessments of the federal government’s response to COVID-19. “We feel a different sense of urgency than the previous administration had to resolve this issue and they are proactive in working with states,” an official in a Democratic governor’s office told CBS News.
Xavier Becerra, Secretary-Designate for Health and Social Services, as well as Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has been appointed Surgeon General, and COVID Equity Task Force Leader Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, also recently met a dozen religious leaders. , who combined leading faith groups with tens of millions of members, to discuss a fair federal response in communities of color.
Two meeting attendees told CBS News the group discussed the use of faith-based hospitals and clinics to increase access and confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly in places with “deserts”. of pharmacy ”. Biden’s team did not outline specific plans to reach Americans skeptical of the vaccine, two religious leaders told CBS News, but both said they were encouraged by the discussion.
A religious leader told CBS News his network plans to pressure Biden’s team to expand child tax credits.
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