Lawmakers in both parties lobby White House for a more targeted relief bill

[RandySF]

Lawmakers from both parties lobbied White House officials Sunday for a more targeted relief bill as they questioned the need for some of the items included in President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan.

The discussion came on a private Zoom call between key centrist lawmakers of both parties and Biden administration officials led by National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. It was an early test for whether Biden’s relief plan has a chance of getting the kind of support it would need to pass Congress with bipartisan backing.

Lawmakers on the call raised questions including whether a new round of $1,400 checks included in the proposal could be more narrowly targeted to those who need them the most, according to several people involved.

Participants also asked administration officials to justify the need for hundreds of billions allocated for other purposes, including $130 billion for schools, given that Congress has already spent some $4 trillion on the coronavirus relief effort — including $900 billion approved in December.

“There are still a lot of unanswered questions, most notably, how did the administration come up with $1.9 trillion dollars required, given that our figures show that there’s still about $1.8 trillion left to be spent,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a leader of the bipartisan group of senators on the call. “We hope to get more data documenting the need from them.”

There was widespread support among the lawmakers for spending on vaccine production and distribution, which several described as by far the highest priority to beat the pandemic and resurrect the faltering economy.

The Zoom call, organized by Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), ran more than an hour. In addition to Deese, it featured Louisa Terrell, the director of legislative affairs, and Jeff Zients, the White House’s covid-19 response coordinator.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/01/24/biden-stimulus-congress-briefing/

[servermsh]

1. This article reads like a Manchin press release.

[msongs]

2. he's in charge, not so surprising nt

[PoliticAverse]

3. "if Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock win" payments would "go out the door immediately". n/t

[Still Sensible]

4. We don't have to shoot our dicks off goddamnit!

Shit like this is how we democrats assemble the circular firing squad every time we gain power. I know we want to be perceived as reasonable and fair, but now is NOT the fucking time!

It is this simple right now--every individual that received a check in round one or round two is rightfully expecting that $1,400 this time around. if we give in, we will alienate every damn one of those who suddenly get "targeted" out of this. AND THE GODDAMN GOP will laugh themselves silly that we shot our dick off again!

Maybe there are a couple places we could allow a tweak if it makes sense, but NOT on

--NOT ON this round of checks, essentially part two of the last round (some are already pissed it's not $2,000)

--NOT ON funding and Federal resources to accelerate vaccine distribution

--NOT ON help to states, cities and schools

--NOT ON help for small business and their employees

It's really important that we in the Democratic Party do not back down on this first Biden Administration push!

[abqtommy]

5. It's interesting to me that a great deal of the previous 4 trillion expenditure has gone to

undeserving individuals and businesses but I guess that was approved by our corrupt public servants.

[BlueTsunami2018]

6. I'm not necessarily opposed to this.

It should be going to people unable to work because of the pandemic and not to every person who claimed under a certain amount of income. I’m working with people right now who didn’t miss a minute during this but will still get a check under the current proposal, people making $35 an hour. If a targeting system was set up, we could get even more money into the hands of those who really need it. I don’t think it’s an outrageous idea.

Whatever happens, you can be sure that people like Manchin are going to impede progress on every issue. Someone always has to gum up the works. The reality of the senate is going to slap a lot of people hard very soon.

[Turin_C3PO]

7. It's politically not

smart to cut people out of getting the stimulus. It will create resentment and be looked at as an “entitlement” type of thing. I think part of the reason we won GA was because people are expecting another payment.