Sara Clifft
Editor
On Monday, February 1, President Joe Biden will meet with 10 Republicans who have drawn up a smaller counter-proposal to his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan.
However, the likelihood of a bipartisan agreement is unlikely as the offer, pushed by Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, covers less than one third of the economic relief the White House says the nation needs.
Biden's original legislation proposes direct payments to most Americans and extends unemployment benefits until September. It also raises the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, fulfilling a major campaign promise. The plan provides hundreds of billions of dollars to expand Covid-19 testing, to improve the rollout of vaccines and to get kids back in school.
"We're in a unique crisis. And the elements of this plan really were designed and are designed to take on that crisis head on," Brian Deese, the director of Biden's National Economic Council, said in an interview with CNN.
The proposed Republican plan allots $618 billion that will cover funding for vaccines, testing, small businesses, unemployment insurance, direct payments, child care and schools, according to a summary of the proposal obtained by CNN.
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President Joe Biden speaks about his administration's plans to fight the coronavirus disease during a COVID-19 response event at the White House in Washington, Jan. 21, 2021.
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