Snow falls on the North Lawn of the White House, Sunday, Jan. 31, in Washington. AP photo/Patrick Semansky photo
Aamer Madhani, Lisa Mascaro and Josh BoakThe Associated PressPresident Joe Biden was to meet Monday, Feb. 1, with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed $618 billion in coronavirus aid, about a third of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking as congressional Democrats are poised to move ahead without Republican support.The Republican group’s proposal focuses on the pandemic’s health effects rather than its economic toll, tapping into bipartisan urgency to shore up the nation’s vaccine distribution and vastly expanding virus testing with $160 billion in aid. Their slimmed down $1,000 direct payments would go to fewer households than the $1,400 Biden has proposed, and they would avoid costly assistance to states and cities that Democrats argue are just as important.
