Democrats try to speed up $ 1,400 checks after overcoming Senate lockdown

Senate Democrats are preparing to swiftly push through President Joe Biden's $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, with or without the Republicans' agreement.

This project includes, among other measures, funds for the distribution of vaccines, a check for $ 1,400 and an increase in the federal minimum wage of $ 15 an hour.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, warned senators to be prepared to vote as early as next week on a budget bill that would lay the groundwork for speedy passage of Biden's aid plan.

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

"The

work should move forward,

preferably with our Republican colleagues

, but

(it will) be done without them if necessary

," Schumer said after a private meeting of Democratic senators.

"Time is of the essence to address this crisis. We are considering all the options on the table," he added.

The Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, agreed on Monday to seek an agreement with the Democrats to establish organizational rules in Congress that would allow the legislative work to be unblocked.

The decision came after a five-day lockdown by the Republican Party that put Biden's first measures at risk. 

In addition, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Budget Committee, said that on Tuesday he will introduce a law to

gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $ 15

per hour within five years.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during a press conference with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

AP / Jacquelyn Martin

Raising the salary has been a long-standing Democratic priority, seeking to double the current salary of $ 7.25 per hour set the last time the party was in control of Congress, during the Barack Obama administration.

Proponents claim that such an increase would lift millions of full-time workers out of poverty.

"In the richest country in the history of the world, if you work 40 hours a week,

you shouldn't be living in poverty

," Sander said.

"The minimum wage must be a living wage, which allows people to live with dignity. It is unacceptable that Congress has not approved an increase in the minimum wage since 2007, 14 years ago," he added.

[Biden Signs Executive Order to Prioritize American Products and Jobs]

"If the Republicans are not willing to come on board, that's fine.

We are not going to wait.

We are going to advance soon and aggressively," he warned.

This announcement comes as the White House continues to meet privately with Republican and Democratic lawmakers in hopes of reaching a bipartisan agreement.

The group of more than 50 congressmen from both parties called the 'Problem Solvers Caucus', held a "productive meeting and constructive conversation," according to a statement from Democrat Josh Gottheimer and Republican Tom Reed, who co-chair the group.

Senators from both parties said earlier that they want direct checks for $ 1,400 to go to those who need it most.

They also want a tally of funds remaining from previously approved aid packages (in April and December 2020).

Biden signed an executive order last week asking the Labor Department to develop recommendations to provide the $ 15 minimum wage to federal workers.

The leaders of the Republican Party criticized the measure, assuring that it will end jobs, and affirmed that it would be devastating for working families.

[Moderate Republicans reject Biden's economic plan, jeopardizing checks for $ 1,400]

Legislation to increase the minimum wage faces opposition from Republicans and will be difficult to pass in the evenly divided Senate, as it would need the support of 50 Democrats and 10 Republicans to overcome a "filibuster" , (filibuster, in English).

It is a congressional mechanism that establishes that most of the main regulations must be approved with a majority of at least 60 senators, allowing the minority party to block them.

According to data from the 2019 Congressional Budget Office, raising the federal minimum wage in 2025 would increase the incomes of 17 million workers who would otherwise earn less, possibly increase the wages of about 10 million more, and raise to about 1.3 million people above the poverty line.

But, according to the analysis, another 1.3 million workers would be unemployed.

With information from AP, NBC News and The Washington Post.