In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Republican Senator Mitt Romney characterizes the Biden Administration’s $1.9 trillion bill that has been called a “COVID relief bill” but goes well beyond, lists some of its obvious overreaches, and concludes:
Senate Republicans will support whatever is needed to expand Covid testing, accelerate vaccine delivery and support health providers. We will likewise support robust assistance for those who have been crushed financially by the pandemic, including by losing their jobs. A group of us proposed a $618 billion compromise measure that matched President Biden’s proposed health and vaccine funding, extended enhanced federal unemployment benefits, provided economic relief for those with the greatest need, and included nutrition funding, small-business assistance, and resources to get children safely back to school.
We stand ready to negotiate a plan that helps America recover, both physically and financially, from this dread disease. We are willing to compromise in an attempt to get the administration to come down from its ill-considered $1.9 trillion plan and instead provide need-based relief. We have shown a willingness to compromise—which the president and Democratic congressional leaders have yet to reciprocate.
There are those who think the Senate Republicans will reject anything the administration puts forward. There’s one sure way to find out and, coincidentally, it would be satisfying a campaign promise: unifying the country.
And I’ve got to admit that I’m puzzled by President Biden’s refusal to compromise on it. Giving aid to the rich, helping state and local governments that don’t need help, extending payments into 2022, and a $15/hour national minimum wage just aren’t essential. Why is $1.9 trillion sacrosanct?
Romney represents Wall Street,
Main Street, Massachusetts, er, Utah. We all heard what he had to say 12 years ago and rejected it.
1.9 trillion is the pared down number, not the wish list.
Elections have consequences.
Democracy has prevailed.
Guess the way I would look at it is that the Dems have made an offer, the Repubs have now made an offer. We will now see if either party is willing to compromise. To consider Romney’s offer a compromise is inaccurate unless your negotiations are different than mine.
Steve
You missed a step. The Democrats made their offer, then the Republicans responded with a counter-offer, $600 billion, and the White House rejected it out-of-hand, insisting that was too small but not making a counter-counter-offer. That’s how we arrived at the point at which we find ourselves.
“Why is $1.9 trillion sacrosanct?â€
It’s not. But go to basic assumptions first. Who says unity or relief for those impacted by COVID are primary objectives? Once you are past that you realize the driving force is to collect orders from the pork menu of sufficient size to garner the necessary votes.
That touches on one of my long-standing gripes about Illinois’s congressional delegation. Most of the delegation are what are referred to as “party Democrats” or “party Republicans”, i.e. they can be relied on to vote however the party leaders dictate. That results in a lot less federal money going to Illinois than might otherwise be the case. The strategy for either Illinois Republicans or Democrats should be almost the exact opposite of that: pay up or forget about our support. It’s one of the many reasons I’m dissatisfied with Dick Durbin.