President Biden signaled he is open to Democratic lawmakers using a special budget procedure that would allow them to pass a massive coronavirus rescue package with only a simple majority of senators.
“I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to pass. No ifs, ands, or buts,” Biden told reporters on Friday when asked if he supports the use of reconciliation to pass the bill without clearing the chamber’s usual 60-vote threshold for legislation.
Biden has said repeatedly that he wants a bipartisan solution. But his $1.9 trillion plan has run into trouble on Capitol Hill, facing obstacles with centrist lawmakers over the cost.
To make Biden’s bipartisan wish a reality, the White House has dispatched top aides to warm up senators and secure the 50 Democrats and 10 Republicans that the “American Rescue Plan” needs to pass through Congress.
One possibility is through reconciliation, to which the White House earlier signaled some openness, if necessary.
Democrats hold a bare majority in the Senate and would need every one of their 50 votes to pass the bill under reconciliation if no Republicans joined them. Vice President Kamala Harris could send the measure to Biden’s desk with her 51st tie-breaking vote.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden may even find he can claim a bipartisan victory, noting that Senate Republicans could still vote for a reconciliation measure.
“The president wants this to be a bipartisan package, regardless of the mechanisms,” Psaki said during a White House press briefing on Thursday. “Republicans can still vote for a package even if it goes through reconciliation. There’s no blood oath.”
