As members of Congress feuded over the impeachment trial and coronavirus relief, Biden went about his first week in office as though none of it were happening.
DEMOCRATS AND Republicans in a closely-divided Congress are gearing up for a fight. And President Joe Biden doesn’t seem to want any part of it.
He’s fine with delaying the start of the Senate trial of former President Donald Trump, something Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky requested.
“The more time we have to get up and running to meet these crises, the better,” Biden told reporters after signing executive orders meant to aid Americans suffering economically from the pandemic.
And what about getting rid of the Senate filibuster – something Democrats could do to both get back at Republicans for holding up legislation and nominations in the Barack Obama era and to make passage of Biden’s agenda easier?
“His position has not changed,” meaning Biden opposes getting rid of the procedural tool, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at the briefing Friday.
Biden has emphasized the need for unity – the theme of his inauguration earlier this week – as America grapples with a deadly pandemic, ensuing economic distress and civil unrest. But Capitol Hill seems to have other ideas, at least as opening salvos. Also Read: Biden Suspends New Oil and Gas Leases, Permits for 60 Days
McConnell has held up the very basic work of passing an “organizing resolution,” something that provides for the assignment of committee memberships and chairmanships, trying to get newly installed Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, to commit to keeping the filibuster.
It’s unclear if McConnell believes he can get such a commitment from Democrats who still grouse about the fact that McConnell put roadblocks in front of a great deal of Obama’s initiatives and who refused to schedule even a hearing for Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland – now Biden’s pick for attorney general. The Kentucky lawmaker’s demand may be an early effort to remind the opposing party that despite the fact that Democrats control the White House, the House and the Senate, congressional Republicans can still make trouble.
Biden spent 36 years in the Senate and at a time when there was more comity. Filibusters were used more judiciously for the minority to stop what it felt was extreme legislation or nominations but were not used to make 60 votes the minimum number needed to pass basic legislation.
As members of Congress feud over the impeachment trial and the behavior of lawmakers that colleagues have accused of encouraging the rioters at the Capitol, Biden went about his first week as though none of it were happening.
Friday, he made a formal pitch for his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that would extend unemployment insurance, issue more direct payments to eligible Americans, help small businesses and raise the minimum wage to $15.
That package is already facing opposition from congressional Republicans, and its fate is unclear. So Biden also signed executive orders Friday and issued agency directives to get aid to Americans without congressional approval. One such order says people can still get unemployment insurance if they turn down a job out of fear of getting the virus. Another directive, to the Department of Agriculture, changes the way food assistance is calculated so families could get $100 more every two months.
“A lot of America is hurting and the virus is surging,” Biden said at the White House. “I don’t believe the people of this country just want to stand by and watch their friends or their neighbors, coworkers … go hungry, lose their homes and lose their sense of dignity and hope. That’s not who we are,” he added.
