For the first major legislative effort of his presidency, Joe Biden proposed a $1.9 trillion

dollar COVID relief package.

Partly made up of billions in state and local aid, billions more for vaccine production

and distribution, and direct checks to tens of millions of people to honor his campaign

promise.

A group of Republicans countered with their own plan, suggesting he cut it down by more

than two-thirds.

In exchange, they'd support the bill and give him the 60 votes he'd need to end a filibuster.

Then something strange happened.

Biden met with the Republicans, heard them out, and more or less said no.

John Tester, a Democrat who represents Montana, said no.

I don't think $1.9 trillion, even though it is a boatload of money, is too much money.

Joe Manchin, from West Virginia, said no.

If it's $1.9 trillion so big.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, said no.

There's agreement, universal agreement.

We must go big and bold.

Democrats have no desire to relive the hell that was 2009.

Back then, Republicans strung Democrats along, sometimes for months, only to ditch them

at the last minute or, as they did with Obama's stimulus, make it too small to do the job

effectively.

And so Democrats are now embarking on a complicated multi-week parliamentary process

...