House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that Democrats will pass a budget bill next week as leverage to persuade Senate Republicans to agree to demands for higher spending in a COVID-19 relief package.
“We will pass a reconciliation bill — if we need it,” Mrs. Pelosi told reporters at her weekly news conference. “We would hope that we would have bipartisan cooperation … but we’re not taking any tools off the table.”
A group of centrist Senate Republicans is expressing frustration with the Biden administration for not negotiating with them on the cost of COVID relief. The White House is seeking another $1.9 trillion in aid.
The budget “reconciliation” move by the House would set the stage for Senate Democrats to pass a relief bill with only 51 votes, instead of the 60 required under filibuster rules.
Mrs. Pelosi says she would rather have a bipartisan deal on coronavirus aid, but said Democrats “have to be ready” if they don’t get Republican support.
“We have more leverage getting cooperation with the other side if we have an alternative,” she said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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