Romney, Republicans Meet With President To Discuss COVID Relief Bill

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Sen. Mitt Romney was among 10 Republican senators to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House Monday to offer a counter plan for relief during the pandemic.

“I can tell you it was an honor to meet with the president and vice president,” Romney said in a call with Utah reporters after the meeting. “I will note he has genuine interest in working with us.”

The two sides came together in the oval office for the first time in Biden’s term, sitting down for about two hours to exchange ideas on how to bring relief to millions of Americans.

“It was not just a check the box meeting. It was a serious discussion of differences,” Romney said. “There was not an agreement reached. We didn’t expect there to be an agreement reached. That our plan would be adopted or rejected.”

The coalition of 10 republican senators came prepared with a $618 billion plan, a fraction of Biden’s $1.9 trillion plan.

Earlier in the day, Biden wrote, “Hardworking Americans need help and they need it now. That’s why I’m calling on Congress to immediately pass my American Rescue Plan that will deliver direct relief, extend unemployment insurance, help folks put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, and more.”

We had a productive meeting with @POTUS and @VP to discuss our #COVID19 proposal. We will continue talking to try to find areas of common ground. The first five relief packages were done on a bipartisan basis, and this one should follow suit.

— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) February 2, 2021

“I hope that we were able to convince the president that some of our ideas are good ideas,” Romney said.

But direct payments to Americans may not be one of those ideas. Republicans proposed $1,000 checks for the low-income population. But Romney said, “the president indicated he’s committed to the $1,400 figure.”

“I recognize like many people across the country that we can’t keep on borrowing massively more,” Romney said.

The two parties agree for the most part on money for PPE, vaccinations and testing. But Romney said they want to cut back on the amount Biden’s plan puts toward unemployment benefits and education, which he said previous COVID-19 relief bills address. Republicans pushed for spending money in states based on needs rather than blanket spending.

“We think our package is better. Long-term for America. We’re going to continue fighting for it and hopefully, we’ll see some success,” Romney said.

But Monday’s meeting was about more than just relief. With Democrats in control of the White House, the House and the Senate, the meeting was a test to see whether the administration will be willing to work across the aisle moving forward.

“The reality is that many things that happen in the senate require republican support. It requires some 60 votes. Not all things. But items related to taxing and spending they can do with just 51 votes. And if you want to get off on a good foot of showing respect to the opposite party then you can work on a collaborative basis to find common ground,” Romney said. “Is it worth working together or are they going to set a precedent of just going through on their own.”