WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are rejecting a Republican pitch to split President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue plan into smaller chunks.
Democrats and the White House appear ready to leave their GOP opponents behind and push the sweeping economic and virus aid forward on their own.
Despite Biden’s calls for unity, Democrats say the stubbornly high unemployment numbers and battered economy leave them unwilling to waste time courting Republican support or curbing the size of the package.
The bill would offer money for vaccines, help reopen schools and give $1,400 direct payments to most Americans.
Biden has been appealing directly to Republican and Democratic lawmakers while signaling his priority to press ahead.
