With such a narrow majority in the Senate, the Democrats face a few possible outcomes for getting Biden's proposed COVID relief bill passed. This plan (called the "American Rescue Plan") is estimated to cost about $1.9 trillion and includes things like stimulus checks, testing and tracing, and vaccines. As we learned in class, Congress holds the "power of the purse" and has the power to approve this plan, upon which the money will be delegated to the bureaucracy to execute (for example, the department of Health and Human Services will be in charge of vaccinations).
However, because $1.9 trillion is a huge sum of money, many republicans are opposed to the bill, and have enough seats to hold a filibuster if needed. This leaves democrats with a few options. One would be to abolish the filibuster, then vote it through with their simple majority. Another would be to bypass the filibuster with a process called reconciliation.
While it may be possible to work around the republicans on such a narrow majority, Senator Portman claims it would not be advisable to set such a polarized tone, or as he put it, "poisoning the well." Instead, an opportunity for compromise has arisen with a group of 10 republican senators (including Senator Portman) proposing a less expensive relief bill, estimated to cost less than a third of Biden's original plan. This plan could earn bipartisan support, or at the very least, the 50 democrats + these 10 republicans would be enough to break the filibuster.
However, it isn't quite that simple. Senator Schumer warns of "repeating the same mistake" the democrats made during the 2008 crisis, when they compromised for a stimulus far too low. "The dangers of undershooting our response are fare greater than overshooting it," Schumer continues.
What is the best course of action for the democrats in this situation? Is it better to take advantage of their majority, or to settle for something smaller in favor of lowering tensions?
1 comment:
I think the relief billing being passed with support from both parties will help drive the nation towards unity. We have a dire need for unity within the nation now, both politically and social. The passing of bill with both parties would be the catalyst for unity. Both sides will be able to speak or agree with each other. It will help establish a middle ground and remove the polarization
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