This seems as good a place as any to start. At The Hill Albert Hunt reflects on the fact that although there’s been a change in administrations Washington remains unchanged:
It all is playing out in Biden’s crucial initial test: a $1.9 trillion COVID relief/stimulus bill. To pass the Senate, it needs at least ten Republicans; many have complained about the size and scope, though the White House has made clear, privately and publicly, that it is open to compromise.
Over the weekend, ten Republicans, led by Utah’s Mitt Romney and Maine’s Susan Collins, put forth a drastically scaled back $600 billion package and in a letter asked Biden for a meeting. If this is a serious opening bid and they are willing to meet the White House halfway — Biden would be amenable — a deal may be possible.
But many Democrats would never sign off on anything close to the size proposed by the Republicans, who — at least in the letter— make no mention of assistance to state and local governments or rental assistance, requisites for the administration and most Democrats on Capitol Hill.
The Republican plan also would drop the proposed increase in the minimum wage to $15, which may be a casualty in this process anyway.
One Republican provision Democrats should accept is to reduce the size of any individual stimulus checks and to target them more to those in actual financial need.
The best guess would be Republicans won’t move; despite the “bravery†of Romney and a few others, for too many of them fear of cooperating raises the Trump factor. Many also view it as good PR for the next election.
It also seems like as good a time as any to consider compromise. Moderation, as Plato pointed out a couple of millennia ago, is essential under a republic and the way moderation is achieved is by being willing to compromise with those with whom you disagree. If you find the prospect of compromising with Republicans intolerable, you reject republican government. If you claim that the Republicans are unwilling to compromise, you’re saying that they reject republican government.
With all of the bloviating about preserving democracy that’s been going on, I see precious little democracy to preserve. I think they’re arguing to preserve the ruling oligarchy. I’m more concerned about preserving republican government which, between emergency directives, executive mandates, executive orders, and party extremists seems to be clinging on by a thread.
It’s looking more and more as though Washington getting nothing accomplished is the best case scenario.
I predict that the only choice these Republicans will give Biden is take ti or leave it. If he rejects it then it will be claimed he didnt want to compromise. At best, these Republicans will pretend to be interested and draw things out, like they did with the ACA. The lesson learner there was that the Republicans willing to compromise were not sincere, or that they will eventually cave due to primary fears.
Steve