Joe Biden spoke to House Democrats on a conference call on Wednesday to urge them to continue backing his $1.9trn Covid relief plan, a wide-ranging proposal that has been taking weeks to wend its way towards the legislative finish line.
The president repeatedly thanked the caucus for passing the House version of the massive relief package last week, touting its broad appeal among American voters from across the political spectrum.
“It’s good policy,” Mr Biden said, “and it’s good politics.”
After a public round of fawning introductory remarks from Mr Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the president threw on the cloak of privacy to field questions from members gathered virtually for the House Democrats’ annual retreat. The Q&A comes as many progressives have openly criticised the legislation for perceived shortcomings on stimulus checks, the weekly amount of the Covid-era federal unemployment insurance supplement, and other areas.
In his opening remarks, Mr Biden repeatedly assured House Democrats, whose biennial election cycle means they’re always in campaign mode, that sticking by the Covid relief plan would not only help millions of struggling Americans through the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic, but also earn them long-lasting political capital.
“People are going to remember how we showed up in this moment, how we listened to them,” the president insisted. “I think that people’s memories will be long.”
Mr Biden cited public polling that shows nearly three-quarters of Americans support his administration’s $1.9trn proposal that, among several other landmark items, includes $1,400 stimulus checks for most taxpayers, re-ups and boosts the federal unemployment supplement programme, and provides hundreds of billions of dollars to state and local governments struggling to meet the challenges of the pandemic.
Mr Biden acknowledged that some Democratic lawmakers, especially progressives, may not be 100 per cent satisfied with the bill’s final contours.
“We’re all making some small compromises, but I want to thank you,” the president said.
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