With a phone call that started at 3 p.m. ET, the White House is taking a step to gain bipartisan support for President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, CNN reports.
Up to sixteen Senators–eight Democrats and eight Republicans–were expected to participate in the call with Brian Deese, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council. The Biden Administration hopes to have enough support in the Senate to avoid the use of reconciliation to enact portions of the package.
“President Biden and his advisors will continue to engage and consult bipartisan groups of lawmakers, including today, to make the case why urgent action is needed to get relief to hard-hit communities and families and more resources to public health officials so we can ramp up vaccinations,” one White House official told CNN.
Biden has said that encouraging bipartisanship would be a focus of his first days in office. During his time in the Senate, Biden was known for reaching across the aisle to support legislation.
But with the coronavirus relief package, his team has acknowledged that speed is important to ease the calamity Americans are experiencing. “We’re reaching out to people,” White House Chief of Staff Klain said. “I don’t think bipartisanship and speed are enemies of one another. The need is urgent.”