Moderate Republicans, many of whom have met with President Joe Biden to negotiate the administration’s pandemic relief bill, left the president’s speech at the joint session of Congress with doubts about his calls for bipartisanship and unit.
After the first 100 days, many of the Republican lawmakers who were hopeful about Biden’s desire to work with them across the aisle are now more cynical about how much input Democrats really want from Republicans.
“I was very hopeful with the tone you set [Inauguration] day, and I said so at the time. And yet that rhetoric has not been accompanied by action. It has not been matched for action when it comes to key policy initiatives they have already introduced, including the latest COVID-19 spending bill that passed in March. Remember, despite a 50-50 Senate and a very tight majority in the House of Representatives, there was no rapprochement with Republicans on COVID-19 legislation, ”Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said in a speech on Thursday.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a statement: “As I sat and listened to the comments tonight, I was left with great concern about the lack of bipartisanship displayed in the first 100 days. I ask President Biden to deliver on his inaugural promise to work bipartisan and to spend the next 100 days working to build consensus across the board. “
“That is the only way to truly bring people together, make progress for the betterment of our nation, and create lasting solutions for generations to come,” added Murkowski.
During their joint address to Congress, Biden praised Democratic leaders for joining with Republicans to pass the $ 1.8 trillion American Rescue Plan, but no Republican senators voted for the bill, which passed through of budget reconciliation with 50 votes.
Republicans are concerned that Biden will continue his approach to having his legislation passed by a simple majority, and many high-level Democrats, including Biden, have hinted that they would be willing to go it alone by ditching the 60-vote rule in the country. Senate.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Republican sentiment on the lack of bipartisanship.
Republicans have criticized items unrelated to the pandemic being included in Biden’s rescue package and the soon-to-be-voted infrastructure package, criticized by the Republican Party for having very little to do with core infrastructure.
Portman, who has also been involved in past conversations with administrations, also criticized Biden for the lack of input from the Republican Party on another of his legislative packages.
“Right now, the Biden administration is repeating this same mistake, as far as I know, because they have presented their $ 2.3 billion infrastructure package without consulting, again, any Republicans. And now we hear that the White House and some Democratic leaders may want to pass this latest partisan proposal through reconciliation as well, ”Portman said.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) said Biden’s call for unity and work for all Americans has been just words.
“To date, these words have sounded hollow. The Biden White House has focused most of its energy on forcing aspects of the left’s wish list, whether by executive order or partisan legislation while blocking most Republican ideas and input, “said Toomey.
Beyond bipartisanship, Republicans are concerned about spending on the last three packages, which total nearly $ 6 trillion, and how that will affect the economy going forward.
Now President Biden continues this unprecedented spending wave by proposing another $ 4 billion for a Jobs and Families plan. Rather than touting ways to create new industries, I want to see the president reverse the decisions he has made that cost well-paying jobs and the families they support in Alaska, ”Murkowski said.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who was one of the Republican senators who went to the White House in February to work on pandemic relief, criticized spending on Biden’s new proposals.
“Well, I think with the experience we’ve had with the $ 1.9 trillion bailout plan, you would like Republicans to vote for your plan. But in terms of meeting in the middle, that has not been something that the administration has demonstrated, “Romney added.
“I’m sure Bernie was happy,” he told reporters, referring to the outspoken liberal Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Romney also asked Biden to “get back to bipartisan government work.”
“The president says he wants unity, but it is impossible to unify the United States if you are only appealing to the liberal wing of your own party,” he said in a written statement.
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