Congressional Democrats say that they will tackle coronavirus relief on their own if they have to.
A group of ten Republicans met with President Biden last night, but reached no deal. They argue there is money left over from the package passed in December to be repurposed.
They offered a $600 billion dollar package as opposed to Biden’s $2 trillion dollar deal. A negotiation would follow Biden’s call for unity but some say that the gridlock in Washington is unparalleled.
According to NMPF’s Paul Bleiberg, “The atmosphere on Capitol Hill is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before, just given the turbulent times we’ve been through in the last several weeks... I think there’s significant mistrust between the two parties right now. There’s a great deal of skepticism about what can be accomplished working together, and yet at the same time, a new administration trying to find its footing really during unprecedented times.”
He adds that twelve years ago, the Obama administration was able to get set up and running during a financial crisis, but the pandemic complicates that process for the Biden administration.
