President-elect Joe Biden will seek a deal with Republicans on another round of COVID-19 relief, rather than attempting to ram a package through without their support, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The approach could mean a smaller initial package that features some priorities favored by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The idea is to forgo using a special budget process that would remove the need to get the support of at least 10 Republicans in the Senate, which will be split 50-50 and under Democratic control only thanks to the vice president’s vote.
Jennifer Lee is the President and Co-CEO of Intradiem, a company transforming customer service operations through dynamic workforce orchestration and people-first innovation.
Jennifer's career began on the frontlines of the contact center, where she learned firsthand the challenges and potential of customer service work. Over two decades later, she now leads a company she once supported from the inside, proof that empathy and accountability can coexist at scale. Jennifer joined Intradiem in 2015 as Director of Customer Success. Since then, she has held positions as Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President, before assuming her current role as Co-CEO.
A passionate advocate for human-centric leadership, Jennifer believes that technology should empower, not replace, people. Under her guidance, Intradiem has grown into a market leader known for combining operational excellence with a deeply human culture—one that values wellbeing, learning, and bold curiosity as much as results.
Recognized for her "frontline to CEO" journey, Jennifer frequently speaks about the future of work, leadership in the age of AI, and building resilient organizations rooted in purpose and compassion. She is driven by a simple belief: when you invest in people, performance follows.
Austin Talley, Founder and CEO of Everyware, is passionate about connecting with people and providing excellent customer satisfaction through innovative payment and communications solutions. He has over 20 years of experience in developing new businesses, leading sales teams, increasing market share, and growing the bottom line. Launched in 2015, his company provides services to more than 9,000 merchants across multiple verticals including healthcare, travel, utilities, not-for-profit, and automotive. The platform offers a simple, fast, and secure way to move money while enhancing the ability for merchants to communicate with their customers in real-time with text messaging. It saves them money by improving cash flow and reducing paper billing costs, chargebacks, and fraud. For more information about Everyware, visit Everyware.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Adrienne Penta is the national head of wealth management at SCS Financial.
Previously, she served as principal of private banking and executive director of the Brown Brothers Harriman Center for Women & Wealth. She led the creation of the CW&W, which supports women as they create and manage wealth and seeks to create a dynamic and inclusive environment where women can engage in conversations about wealth, family and values. She also oversaw private banking marketing and sales enablement.
Biden transition staff briefed aides to congressional Democrats on Tuesday about the plans to work with the GOP and not use so-called budget reconciliation in an initial stimulus package.
The briefing came a day after former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle urged his party to give McConnell “reasons to be cooperative,” which would unlock greater legislative achievements.
Biden last week talked of a multitrillion-dollar economic package, but this could now come in stages.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, who’s been speaking with the Biden transition team, said in an interview Tuesday that he would like to see infrastructure spending included in the stimulus package, and that he would be on board with a $2 trillion package.
“It strikes me as it won’t be that difficult to get there,” Neal said.
Neal also said he wants to explore ways to fix state unemployment-insurance distribution systems and to funnel more money to workers in states with low state-level benefits.
Earlier Tuesday, incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told his Democratic colleagues that his top priority after his caucus takes control will be COVID-19 emergency-relief legislation. He highlighted boosting direct payments to most Americans to $2,000 from the $600 enacted in December, additional support for vaccine distribution, and help for small businesses, families, schools and state and local governments.
Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said she thinks the House-passed Heroes Act, a $2.2 trillion measure from October — some of which became part of the $900 billion bipartisan compromise enacted in December — would be the framework for an “updated” bill that could pass in a few weeks. She added that paid leave could be part of the bill.
Also on the table: expanded unemployment aid, which runs out in mid-March under the December relief bill, a date that serves as an effective deadline for Congress for the next round.
The money for testing, vaccines, childcare, schools and state and local governments sought by Democrats is generally thought by aides to be excluded from being allowed under the special budget reconciliation process under Senate rules.
The budget tool can be used for fiscal provisions such as raising or cutting taxes, extending unemployment aid, changing Medicare or Medicaid or stimulus payments. It would require Congress to adopt a concurrent budget resolution with specific instructions and then later pass a reconciliation bill with just a simple majority in the Senate.
— With assistance from Jennifer Epstein