Politics live updates: Biden to host GOP senators for COVID relief talks at the White House
letter to Biden Sunday that emphasized possible areas of agreement.Resistance to key pieces could derail Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan
COVID relief:Joe Biden introduces $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan with $1,400 stimulus checks
They backed new funding for mental health services, extending enhanced unemployment benefits and expanding food assistance. While the group also supports an additional round of direct payments to families, the letter implies the senators want a more targeted approached than in the current proposal.
Psaki reiterated the administration’s position that Congress must act quickly and should err on the side of providing too much, rather than too little, assistance.
Republican support for legislation, but Democrats are preparing to push forward on their own, if necessary.
“With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent,” Psaki said, “and the scale of what must be done is large.”
– Maureen Groppe