Biden’s Economic Vaccine Dilemma: 2086 Trillion Money Spread or Cooperation with the Republican Party

US President Joe Biden took out an economic stimulus card instead of the impeachment of former President Donald Trump as a top legislative task. However, the biden administration, which is concerned about fiscal soundness, opposes the economic stimulus plan and emphasizes’coordination’ and’integration’, was in trouble.

White House National Economic Commission (NEC) chairman Brian Deez held a meeting with 16 senators, including 8 Republican senators, on the 24th (local time) and held a $1.9 trillion (about 2094 trillion won) “Biden vote relief bill” Discussed. At this place The White House requested in the Senate on the 8th of next month that the economic stimulus package be handled before Trump’s impeachment proceedings begin.

‘Economic vaccine’ has been the most emphasized issue by President Biden since before taking office.. On the 14th, President Biden said, “The country’s health is at risk. We must act now,” and proposed a large-scale economic stimulus package of $1.9 trillion. This stimulus plan includes a plan to increase direct subsidies that most Americans receive to $2,000 (about 2.2 million won), and a support plan for corona 19 vaccination.

The problem is that some senators, led by the Republican Party, are against it. American media reported that a number of Republican lawmakers have already passed $900 billion (about 991 trillion won) of Corona 19 relief measures in December last year, and are expressing concern over the economic stimulus plan.

Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is classified as a nonpartisan, told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 24th, “It seems premature to consider such a stimulus package.” He added, “The stimulus plan proposed by the President is not suitable for targeting,” he added. “The senators pointed out this and hope the administration will take a closer look.”

Independent Senator Angus King also said, “This meeting is important in that the White House and the Senate have openly discussed how to create a remedy for Corona 19 in the future,” he said. “Every dollar used here is money borrowed from our grandchildren. “We have to take responsibility.”

Some Democratic senators seemed conscious of the Republican backlash, rather than a massive stimulus package. It is presenting’tweezers support’ focusing on Corona 19 such as vaccine supply. Senator Jin Shahin of the Democratic Party suggested that “there is not much time left for discussion because it is about to be judged for impeachment. It would be most efficient to make a relief bill focused on vaccine campaigns.”

Earlier, the Senate announced that Trump’s impeachment proceedings will begin on the 8th of next month. It is observed that if the Senate enters the impeachment trial, it will be difficult to discuss other bills. Because of this, the White House is in a position that Congress should promptly deal with the stimulus package before entering into the impeachment process.

Analysts say that President Biden is in a dilemma over this stimulus package. This is because in order to smoothly pass the economic stimulus package, the scale must be significantly reduced, or in order to pass the original plan as it is, it is necessary to use a partisan procedure to exclude the Republican Party.

President Biden has been emphasizing resolving the corona crisis through large-scale economic stimulus measures before taking office, and at the same time has always said that we must go beyond division and go to the era of cooperation and integration.

In principle, the approval of at least 10 Republican senators is required for the bidens vote economic vaccine to pass. In the House of Representatives, where the majority can pass, the stimulus package can be passed only with the power of the Democratic Party, which occupies the majority, but the Senate requires 60 seats to neutralize the filibuster. However, the Pan-Democratic Party and the Republican Party are dividing the seats with 50 seats versus 50 seats.

But to President Biden Neutralizing republican opposition There is a’budget reconciliation’. This is a system that allows only the bills related to revenue and expenditures to be processed by a simple majority. In this case, it is possible to pass the Senate with only the power of the Democratic Party by adding a casting boat vote by Vice President Harris, the chairman of the Senate.

“What we can’t do is wait weeks or months for the stimulus to pass,” said Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders, who has the right to exercise the budget adjustment process. ”

The WSJ reported that “the budget adjustment process is the most biased method of all political instruments,” and that “passing this stimulus will be the first test bed for Biden’s pledge to return to Washington by agreement.”

The Washington Post (WP) also said, “President Biden is faced with a difficult situation to balance. Progressive lawmakers oppose reducing the size of stimulus packages to gain Republican support, “If we push through the budget adjustment process, our vows of pursuing integration and bipartisan results are broken.”

Reporter Seok Kyungmin [email protected]