Democrats in the House of Representatives are planning to work overtime to unveil a COVID relief package that will only need 51 votes in the Senate to get to President Joe Biden’s desk.
According to Punchbowl News, Democratic leaders in the House are changing their schedule over the next six weeks so they can fast track a COVID relief package, which is a top priority for the new Biden administration.
The news outlet reports, “The House will not have any floor votes the weeks of Feb. 8 and Feb. 15. But the committees will be working those weeks marking up a reconciliation package. Reminder: This would allow the Senate to pass a Covid-relief bill with 51 votes.”
When all is said and done, Democrats are aiming to get a COVID relief package on Biden’s desk by the middle of March.
Democrats clearly aren’t banking on GOP unity
Joe Biden has repeatedly expressed his desire to work with Republicans in Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to tackle the public health and economic crises that he inherited from Donald Trump.
But there have already been indications from congressional Republicans that they have no intention of rolling up their sleeves and crossing the aisle to get things done.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made it clear on Monday night that while Democrats are seeking bipartisan solutions, Republicans are the minority party and they don’t get to hold Congress hostage.
Biden himself said this week that unity is not the same thing as bipartisanship, and he won’t let Republicans stand in the way of legislation that the American people need right now.
As PoliticusUSA’s Jason Easley noted on Monday, “Unity is doing what the majority of Americans want, not catering to a few Republicans in Congress.”
The vast majority of the American people support the passage of another COVID relief package as the pandemic continues to turn so many lives upside down. Democrats are keeping all options on the table to get a bill to Joe Biden’s desk as soon as possible.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
