The Biden White House is deploying senior officials to achieve a broad ideological spectrum of legislators, governors and mayors on board with the president’s $ 1.9 trillion COVID relief proposal, according to people familiar with the question.
Why it’s important: The extensive and choreographed effort shows how Biden crucially views the stimulus to the nation’s recovery and its own political success.
Leading the news: Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, and Jeff Zients, Biden’s tsar COVID, have scheduled a meeting with the centrist New Democracy Coalition for Wednesday later.
- Over the weekend, Deese’s meeting with 16 senators was concentrated, but there are actually dozens of calls every day as the White House works to build the first coalition for Biden’s presidency.
How it works: The general outreach of members and staff of Congress is coordinated by Biden Councilor Steve Ricchetti and Director of Legislative Affairs Louisa Terrell.
- President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and senior adviser Anita Dunn have made individual calls to lawmakers this week.
- Zients spoke Tuesday with governors from both parties and other officials briefing tribal leaders and mayors.
- Cedric Richmond, who heads the White House Office of Public Engagement, contacted civil rights groups on Tuesday, including the NAACP, the Urban League, the Coalition of Black Civic Participation and the Black Round Table.
What they say: “President Biden and the White House are putting together a full-fledged press to engage leaders and interest groups in Washington,” said Mike Gwin, the White House deputy press secretary.
The big picture: Biden has said he prefers a bipartisan approach to getting his plan to Congress. But he has not ruled out relying solely on Democratic votes to pass his proposal through the budget conciliation process, which requires an absolute majority in the Senate.
- Some progressives, such as Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Argue that Biden should now move on to the path of reconciliation and not waste time seeking 60 votes.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said yesterday that “we keep all our options open on the table, including budget reconciliation.”