$ 1,400 checks in jeopardy: Republicans reject Biden's economic plan

By Sahil Kapur- NBC News

WASHINGTON - Some key moderate Republicans in the Senate ruled out accelerating President Joe Biden's top priority of a $ 1.9 trillion economic package, noting that the $ 1,400 of stimulus he requested could take months, or even never arrive. .

The

Democrats need to

convince 10 Republicans in the Senate

, which may require asking for

less funds than initially requested Biden, or step over the threshold of 60 votes using a parliamentary maneuver.

Biden's team appears to be willing to mount an aggressive campaign to get Congress to act, unlike the previous Administration, which largely failed to engage congressmen in legislative priorities and did not spend political capital to win approval. of your bills.

[Accelerate delivery of aid checks and more food stamps: Biden focuses on the economy on his third day in office]

Republicans, who are critical to meeting the goal, were open to receiving additional money to accelerate the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, but

were reluctant to the lump sum proposed by Biden

.

Some asked him to scale back the plan, while others suggested waiting a few months to see if financial need persists.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, one of the more dovish, said she is

"understanding"

about the increased funding for vaccines, but doesn't see the justification for such a "big" bill.

President Joe Biden speaks about his Administration's plans to respond to the economic crisis in the White House State Dining Room in Washington, DC, on January 22, 2021. REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst

"It's hard for me to see when we just approved $ 900 billion in aid why we would have [to approve] such a large package," Collins told reporters Thursday.

"Maybe in a couple of months the needs will be evident and we have to do something significant, but right now I don't see it," he added.

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski called Biden's request "significant" and added that "the ink has barely dried on the $ 900 billion bill."

[Biden launches pandemic action plan with 10 executive orders for more vaccines, masks and reopening of schools]

"And that's why it's going to require, I think, a fair amount of debate and consideration," he told reporters.

Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a conservative who has a history of breaking away from his party, assured Telemundo's sister network NBC News that he is unwilling to borrow another trillion or even $ 500 billion for a large economic package. .

The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump will take place in early February

Jan. 23, 202100: 21

"My opinion is that

what is holding back the economy is COVID-19, not money,

" he said.

"I want to do everything possible to get the vaccines out. But once the COVID-19 vaccine is out and people are inoculated, I think the economy will come back," he added.

The swift resistance means that Biden's plan has a difficult path to getting the 10 Republican votes needed to pass under the normal process, which Biden's team said it favors for this bill.

If bipartisan support does not materialize, it would leave Democrats with two options:

use the reconciliation process

to avoid obstruction in budget provisions, or

cut it

to seek bipartisan support.

"I think the Administration and the [Democratic] caucus would prefer it

to be done on a bipartisan basis

," House Speaker John Yarmuth, Democrat, assured reporters.

"We have not yet made the decision to use reconciliation, but we are prepared to move very quickly if it seems that we cannot do it any other way," he added.

Getty Images

Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who will chair the Senate Budget Committee, has also said Democrats should use reconciliation if reaching out to Republicans proves unsuccessful.

Biden's plan

includes

$ 400

billion for the vaccine

and school reopening,

new $ 1,400 stimulus checks, $ 400 a week unemployment benefits, $

25 billion in childcare assistance and health subsidies to enforce the Affordable Care Act and fund COBRA health insurance coverage.

It follows the $ 900 billion plan approved in December, which provides for direct payments and other financial aid through March.

[Congress prepares a plan with checks of up to $ 3,600 to families with children within the Biden stimulus package]

Some provisions could go through the budget process of a fiscal year if they are directly related to taxes and spending.

But regulatory provisions, such as raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15, would have to be excluded.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday that

Biden's proposed package is subject to change

but that all components are important.

"The way the package was designed was to address the fundamental issues of the crisis," he said in response to a question about whether it could split to gain bipartisan support.

"So I think the tricky part of that question is: Is funding for the vaccine delayed for distribution? Is funding for unemployment insurance delayed? Is funding delayed for reopening schools?"

The approach that the Democratic-led administration chooses for the new president's top priority will set the

tone for legislative action over the next two years

, which is likely to be Biden's best chance to advance aggressive bills in Congress.

AMLO and Joe Biden have a first conversation about immigration and COVID-19

Jan. 23, 202100: 26

Brian Deese, the director of Biden's National Economic Council, rebutted Republican skepticism on Friday, saying the

United States is "at a precarious time"

with the virus and the economy.

"Without decisive action, we run the risk of falling into a very serious economic hole, even more serious than the crisis we are in," he told reporters.

"The risk of doing too little far outweighs the risk of doing too much," he argued.

Deese is scheduled to hold a call with a bipartisan group of senators

, including Collins and Murkowski,

this weekend

to discuss Biden's proposal.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who is on the Senate Finance Committee that will oversee financial aid, said he needs to hear a valid justification for spending so much money.

"If you don't have a justification for it, $ 1 billion is too much for me," he said.

"We are not here just to spend money. We are here to spend money if there is a need," he said.

Biden Administration moratorium to stop deportations goes into effect

Jan. 23, 202100: 21

Some Republicans urge Democratic leaders to

lower the plan

.

"I think the amount would be difficult, but there are components that I like," South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said of Biden's $ 1.9 billion proposal.

"I don't think his bill will go through, but we have to do something," he added.

Graham said he hopes a bipartisan task force led by Collins and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, "can come up with an alternative."