Biden stands firm in push for $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC News) President Biden is standing firm on his push for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan.

Mr. Biden hosted Senate Democrats in the Oval Office Wednesday, two days after a similar meeting with Republicans.

Despite partisan divide over the cost of the plan, the White House is optimistic they will get some GOP backing.

“Our view is that this bill itself is bipartisan, 74% of the public support it,” says White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Still, Democrats are laying the groundwork to go it alone by passing the bill through budget reconciliation rather than dramatically scaling down to something Republicans would support.

“We must not, must not repeat the mistakes of the past and do too little, too reluctantly and too late,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says.

Republicans, and at least one Democrat, are objecting to that process.

All Senate Democrats would have to vote together to pass the bill without Republicans, and West Virginia’s Senator Joe Manchin is insisting on a bipartisan process.

“If they think that they’re basically going to throw all caution to the wind and just shove it down people’s throats, that’s not going to happen,” Senator Manchin says.