Rep. Richard Neal, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, told Boston Public Radio on Wednesday that President Joe Biden appears to be more open to targeting COVID-19 relief money. Neal said Biden spoke with Democrats in a call on Wednesday to discuss his proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirusw relief plan, days after meeting with a group of Republicans who had proposed their own $618 billion plan.
"I think what the president did was correct in trying to meet with Republicans and say to them clearly, 'If you have some good suggestions, I'm open to them,'" Neal said. "He reiterated that today in his call with the Democratic caucus. He seemed more open today to targeting some of the relief money, which I think is a good idea."
Neal said Biden also stressed the need to get something passed before a March deadline when unemployment benefits will start to expire.
"The argument that has been made is that getting money into the hands of people at the lower end of hte economic spectrum immediately is our most improtant challenge," he said. "Those are the people who need it and will spend it and pay rent and mortages with it."
One major difference between the Biden plan and the plan proposed by a small number of Republicans is the amount of money approved for unemployment benefits. Neal said Democrats want $400 weekly, and Republicans want $300.
"I don't think the President should move off of that," Neal said.
Neal also spoke about a proposal to expand the child tax credit through the latest round of COVID-19 relief, offering parents additional money for each child, by way of recurring monthly payments.
"We believe the $1,400 ceiling we've offered in this, plus the $600 we did in December, brings that to $2,000," he said. "But one of the problems we had last time around was how do we describe dependent children? We think dependent children should be fully beneficiaries of the latest proposal."
