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Progressive House Democrats are threatening to derail President Bidens $1.5 trillion bipartisan budget deal over what they see as inadequate funding for combatting the coronavirus.

Far-left lawmakers, particularly those from the Midwest, say the $15.6 billion earmarked for COVID-19 vaccines, testing centers and new treatment options is not equitable. They argue, in particular, that Democratic leaders undercut the bill by acquiescing to Republicans demands that the coronavirus funding comes from unspent money already appropriated for the pandemic.

This is going to impact midwestern states the hardest, said one Democratic aide, who requested anonymity when discussing the topic. Our communities have spent money tackling the pandemic and now this budget wants to claw it back, while some states havent spent a penny.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, is working to allay those concerns. In a letter to colleagues, Mrs. Pelosi said that while some of the initial coronavirus money would be clawed back, states will get at least 91 percent of the state funds that they expected to receive.

Republicans resisted this deeply needed funding demanding that every cent requested by the administration be offset by state and local funds scheduled to be released this spring, wrote Mrs. Pelosi. To offset these costs and ensure the omnibus will be enacted, the administration identified $8 billion from the American Rescue Plan programs that have expired with remaining funds available.

Progressives lawmakers, however, are not sold. They say the budget bill should not move forward if it penalizes states that have used federal coronavirus funds equally with those that have not.

Some of that money is being clawed back to use for Covid funding, but that money has already been appropriated by our state legislature, and its not like its unused funding, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who chairs the 98-member Congressional Progressive Caucus.

To show their resolve, far-left Democrats forced Mrs. Pelosi to keep a vote open on a Republican motion to adjourn the House that was destined to fail. The delay angered some members of the Democratic leadership, who are eager to pass the budget before Friday, the deadline for Congress to approve a government funding bill or risk a shutdown.

Were not rewriting it, said House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Democrat.

Last month, Mr. Biden initially requested $22.5 billion for coronavirus mitigation efforts. That figure was whittled down to roughly $15 billion during negotiations with Republicans.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.

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Progressives threaten to derail Biden's $1.5 trillion budget over COVID-19 funding - Washington Times