Ten Republican Senators led by Susan Collins of Maine have requested a meeting with President Joe Biden to review a counterproposal to Biden’s $1.9 trillion recovery package, a test of Biden’s claim that he would seek unity with people from the opposition party, the Washington Post reports.
The Republican’s $600 billion plan would eliminate an increased federal minimum wage and lower one-time supplemental stimulus payments from $1,400 to $1,000, as well as lower the maximum household income eligible for the checks.
The Biden Administration has called the $1.9 trillion package a starting point for negotiations, saying that it’s essential for aid to get to Americans quickly. Democrats in Congress have proposed using a budget reconciliation process, which only needs a simple majority in the Senate to pass, to get the package through if Republicans remain recalcitrant.
The fact that ten Republicans have signed on to the plan signals that Biden could forge a path to compromise without resorting to reconciliation, a giant step forward in a political environment where Senate Republicans ran roughshod over traditional norms when they had a majority.
The ten Republicans signing on to the proposal are Collins, Rob Portman (OH), Bill Cassidy (LA), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Mitt Romney (UT), Todd C. Young (IN), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Jerry Moran (KS), Mike Rounds (SD) and Thom Tillis (NC.).