“While President Biden will continue to reach out to Republicans and Democrats on this emergency package, there is as much pressure on Republicans to work with the president as there is on President Biden to work with Republicans,” said Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to Biden. “The voters the Republicans lost in ’18 and ’20 — and who voted for Joe Biden — want to see their leaders working together to confront the emergency facing the country.”…

A Biden aide said the president pointed out the enormous gap between the Republicans’ proposal and his bill, remarking that he is not interested in making significant concessions. Biden, the aide said, made it clear that the conversation was important but he plans to push ahead expeditiously — reminding the senators of his experience with reconciliation, the procedural process by which bills can pass with a simple majority in the Senate.

“I think this is a good opportunity to show he was serious about working with Republicans,” said a former Biden aide in close touch with the White House, “but if they’re not willing to do what it takes, then we’ve got the votes to do it our way.”