Despite a cordial meeting with ten GOP Senators on Monday, the Biden administration has signaled that it is likely they’ll pass COVID relief without bipartisan support. While legislation in the Senate typically requires 60 votes to avoid the filibuster process, Democrats can use a Senate process called budget reconciliation to pass certain types of legislation with a simple majority.
Indeed, Democrats hold the slimmest of majorities in the chamber: both parties split the upper chamber 50-50, and Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaking vote. While this means Democrats can pass a budget reconciliation, it means any other non-bipartisan legislation they try to pass is likely to be stonewalled by the filibuster.
End-Run Around Republican Offer
The COVID relief bill offered by the GOP Senators, led by Susan Collins of Maine, is roughly one-third the size of Biden’s proposed bill. Biden’s top officials have repeatedly noted that they would be more afraid to spend too little on relief than too much. Economists have warned that drastic action needs to be taken to head off a massive financial disaster due to the impact of the novel coronavirus.
Republicans would likely see a budget reconciliation as Biden not living up to his goals of bipartisanship and healing the country. However, it’s unlikely the average American would even take note of what manner of parliamentary procedure the Senate elected to use in a relief bill. Even those who are staunchly Republican might not take notice of Democrats using an obscure Senate rule to short-circuit the filibuster.
Biden Faces Crux Point Early in Presidency
Biden’s supporters to his left would likely see a compromise bill that was scaled down significantly as a defeat early in his presidency. Indeed, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday, while Biden hopes that this bill “can pass with bipartisan support, a reconciliation package is a path to achieve that end.”
Despite Biden’s seeming reluctance to take up the GOP Senators on their offer, the meeting seems to have been cordial. “I was the first person to speak about a specific issue. I said, ‘Mr. President, I don’t want to seem rude,”’ noted Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana in a Monday interview. “He said, ‘Listen, I’ve been in all these negotiations. We’re going to have a difference of viewpoints on some things. We’re going to agree on some things. And when we disagree, we’re not being rude.”’
Those close to Biden have said they found it encouraging that his talks with Republican lawmakers were so warm and professional. “I feel like I’m back in the Senate,” the President joked briefly to reporters before they were ushered out of the Oval Office.
