Pelosi signals support for passing relief without GOP support using reconciliation bill

During a Thursday press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled she would be willing to using a budget reconciliation bill to pass a relief bill without GOP support and a simple majority.

Per Manu Raju of CNN:

“We will pass a reconciliation bill — if we need it,” Pelosi says of the Dem strategy to pass relief bill with Dem votes only if they don’t win over Senate Republicans

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 28, 2021

“We will pass a reconciliation bill — if we need it,” Pelosi says of the Dem strategy to pass relief bill with Dem votes only if they don’t win over Senate Republicans

With a 50/50 split in the Senate, congressional Democrats could potentially pass a bill with no support from Republican Senators utilizing this tactic and Kamala Harris as a tie-breaking vote.

Per Punchbowl News “there’s frustration on the Republican side” of the so-called “Sweet 16” of bipartisan centrist senators with this plan. These centrists — namely Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) — “say Democrats are moving way too quickly toward budget reconciliation, which they take as a signal that Democrats have no interest in the GOP’s support,” sources tell Punchbowl News.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said Wednesday “I think it would be wise for the new administration to work to try to get a bipartisan proposal that can be moved through I do think that that speaks exactly to President Biden’s comments just a week ago now it seems like it’s been longer than a week but he’s only been sworn in, for a week now.”