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BIPARTISANSHIP MUST BE A TWO WAY STREET
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U.S. Politics – February 1, 2021
TrueNewsBlog-TNB
CONGRESS -BIPARTISAN-COVID-19-JOE BIDEN
By Nathaniel Ballantyne
Bipartisan must always be a two way street where the party in power seeks to include the minority. But lately bipartisan seems to be applicable only when the Democrats are in power. When Republicans controlled the senate, they jammed three Supreme Court justices without a hint of a request for bipartisan, now they are in the minority they are singing a different tune.
Later today, 10 Senate Republicans will meet President Joe Biden at the White House to make a counteroffer to Bidenโs $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan and to discuss their idea. Itโs expected to total about $600 billion, less than a third of Bidenโs proposal. But will the president actually entertain it, and counter the counter?
Itโs pretty clear that Democratic leadership thinks the idea is a joke and is ready to move ahead with reconciliation. But thereโs more ambiguity โ and perhaps internal division โ among White House officials about how to handle the GOP offer.
Some Biden advisers are starting to argue that Biden can pass the bipartisan test without Republican votes. You read that right. โEven with narrow majorities in Congress, [Biden] has the opportunity to build broad bipartisan support for his program โ not necessarily in Congress but with the America people,โ ANITA DUNN told John Harwood in a piece for CNN over the weekend.
But weโve also heard from administration officials lately who do want to cut a deal. The question on everyoneโs mind seems to be: Will Biden endure the wrath of the left โ and possibly even his own leadership โ to go for a less ambitious package?
So far the answer looks like no. And some moderate Republicans are privately expressing disappointment that Biden hasnโt done more to hold Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Speaker NANCY PELOSI back from plowing ahead with reconciliation. One of them told us Sunday afternoon that Biden says โall this great stuff about unity, but itโs like that old Wendyโs commercial: โWhereโs the beef?โโ
Still, itโs noteworthy that Biden has offered to meet with these 10 Senate Republicans before heโs huddled with congressional Democratic rank and file on this matter. And Bidenโs invitation comes as even some senior Democrats argue the GOP offer is far too low to be taken seriously at this point considering Democrats control all the levels of power in Washington.
Republicans are never timid about using their power to advance their ideas and policies. Democrats should not be timid either. What is the need of having power if you are afraid to use it? The American people voted for Democrats because they want relief, they want results not ever ending discussions about bipartisan when the Republicans are not even serious about it. Their offer of $600 billion from $1.9 Trillion is a joke that cannot be taken seriously. Democrats must advance the will of the people by any means necessary including reconciliation.