Democrats in Congress are preparing to go around Republicans to pass Biden's stimulus package

• Schumer said Democrats were gearing up to pass a relief package without GOP votes if necessary.
• "Time is of the essence," the Senate majority leader said.
• Democrats are eyeing swift action to combat the pandemic as GOP support for Biden's proposal appears to be narrowing.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that Democrats may kick-start the reconciliation process next week as odds of any Republican support for President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion emergency spending package appeared very slim.

Using the maneuver would allow Democrats to pass the proposal unilaterally with only 51 votes and avoid the 60-vote supermajority required for most legislation. Schumer said Democratic senators could expect a floor vote on a budget resolution as early as next week - the first step to setting the procedure in motion.

"We want to work with our Republican colleagues to advance this legislation in a bipartisan way," the New York Democrat told reporters at a press conference. "But the work must move forward - preferably with our Republican colleagues but without them if we must. Time is of the essence."

Reconciliation would require every Democrat to get behind the Biden rescue plan, a possible hurdle given some moderate senators are reluctant to support every component of the proposal.

Over the past week, Biden has attempted to secure 10 Republican votes for his relief plan. It includes $1,400 stimulus checks, federal unemployment benefits, aid to state and local governments, and a $15 federal minimum wage. A top economic advisor for the administration consulted with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Sunday.

But GOP resistance to the plan is intensifying, and many Republicans say the level of spending Biden is seeking isn't necessary to address the crisis. Instead, they favor a smaller rescue package that prioritizes measures like vaccine funds.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a floor speech on Monday that the Biden plan "misses the mark."

"Any further action should be smart and targeted, not just an imprecise deluge of borrowed money that would direct huge sums toward those who don't need it," the Kentucky Republican said.

Biden said Monday he was willing to negotiate for several more weeks in a bid toward the bipartisanship he campaigned on. He also expressed a willingness to modify the income thresholds for a third wave of stimulus checks - a key demand among some centrist Republicans.

But many Democrats say the crises call for swift action and spoke against drawn-out negotiations. Congressional leaders took about five months to negotiate a $900 billion relief package approved in December, a follow-up measure on a $2 trillion emergency spending bill enacted early last year.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Democrats should spend a "very limited amount of time" trying to draw Republican votes. He referred to March 14 - the end date for many enhanced unemployment-insurance programs - as an apparent deadline for legislative action.

"We're facing a national emergency with COVID-19 and the economy," he told reporters on Capitol Hill. "We've got to move quickly. The president believes that this is a high priority and I agree."

That notion was echoed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He is set to oversee the reconciliation process in the Senate and has pressed for significant spending to combat the pandemic.

"I think there is a consensus. If Republicans are not prepared to come on board, that's fine. We're not going to wait," Sanders told reporters on Capitol Hill. "We're going forward soon and aggressively."

The Trump impeachment trial, which starts on February 8, threatens to upend the early Democratic governing agenda, since it may stretch on for several weeks. That's been a major factor pushing Democrats to immediately set the wheels in motion for passing Biden's rescue package.

McConnell and Schumer are also moving toward a power-sharing agreement to reorganize the Senate and allow Democrats to chair committees after a five-day standoff over the filibuster, the 60-vote threshold most bills need to clear the chamber.