President Joe Biden's proposal to send $1,400 stimulus checks to as many Americans as possible is facing opposition from moderate lawmakers, but Democrats may now give up on gaining broad bipartisan support in favor of fast-tracking the bill

In a Sunday (January 24) conference call with the White House, a bipartisan group of 16 senators pushed back against the total cost of the $19 trillion stimulus package, saying it would send money to Americans who do not need it The $1,400 bailout check included in the bill would supplement the $600 stimulus package that would be sent after Christmas

Moderate lawmakers on Sunday's conference call supported several provisions of the bill, but called for a more targeted plan that would send three stimulus checks to low-income individuals and families

"This is not Monopoly money," said Senator Angus King (R-Maine) Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined the conference call

The Biden administration has previously sought a bipartisan package that would pass the Senate with 60 votes to block the filibuster However, given the uncertainty of moderate senators from both parties, it seems unlikely that the current proposal will gain much traction The Senate is split 50-50 between the two parties

If Biden's stimulus plan does not have the support of at least 10 Republican moderates, it is not necessarily dead Democrats can use the budget process, known as reconciliation, to pass the bill with only 50 votes and Vice President Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker

To do so, all Democrats and left-leaning independents, including Senator King, would need to vote in favor Another independent, Senator Bernie Sanders (R-Vermont), has already said he supports reconciliation, despite his previous opposition to Republicans using the reconciliation process to pass tax cuts in 2017

"You did it, we're going to do it, but we're going to do it to protect ordinary people, not just the rich and powerful," Sanders said on CNN on Sunday

If Democrats decide to abandon hopes of bipartisanship and push through the bill alone this week, the third stimulus check will probably begin arriving in mid-February

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has so far not ruled out reconciliation But while the process would move the stimulus package forward quickly, it could set the tone for a severe division in the Senate, which Biden, who has served in the Senate for 36 years, hopes to avoid

Some Republicans say they are waiting for the Biden administration to seek broad support for the stimulus bill

"Around here, it's much more successful to try to get bipartisanship first, which is the foundation of trust," said Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), another moderate, before Sunday's conference call