GOP united against $1.9T stimulus bill

Republicans remain united in lockstep opposition to President Biden’s sprawling coronavirus stimulus plan, even as polls show Americans overwhelmingly support the measure.

Not a single GOP lawmaker has expressed support for the $1.9 trillion measure, even though it includes broadly popular measures like a new round of direct payments to taxpayers, help for small businesses and an extension of pandemic unemployment aid.

The bill is expected to pass in the House of Representatives on Friday and head to the Senate next week.

Republicans have denounced the bill as Democratic overreach packed with goodies designed to satisfy the party’s liberal base. They also say Biden’s unflinching support for the bill and refusal to trim the price tag goes against his promise to turn the page to a new era of bipartisan cooperation.

“This bill is too costly, too corrupt and too liberal,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer showed little patience with GOP efforts to eliminate big chunks of the bill like aid to businesses, schools and hard-pressed state and local governments to prevent layoffs of public workers.

“If congressional Republicans want to oppose all that, my response is: good luck,” Schumer (D-N.Y) said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has vowed to fight the bill tooth and nail, especially provisions Republicans object to like increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Democrats plan to use a legislative sleight of hand known as reconciliation to pass the bill through the evenly divided Senate, with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes normally needed to overcome a filibuster.

The nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian will decide if the minimum wage provision and other measures can be included in the bill.

Either way, Biden and his Democratic allies plan to bulldoze ahead with or without GOP support. Many liberals are determined not to repeat what they consider the mistakes of then-President Barack Obama, who scaled back stimulus measures in a futile effort to win over some Republicans during the 2009 Great Recession.

Democratic leaders also believe some Republicans will lose their nerve and wind up supporting the bill out of fear of being targeted for opposing popular stimulus measures.