Congress has already passed $6 trillion in spending to treat and test for the virus, and Republicans are unlikely to back more, meaning the President could be in for yet another partisan battle on Capitol Hill.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said this week he expects "additional sums requested" from the White House, "substantial sums to be requested, to deal with and confront and try to contend with the coronavirus that has afflicted us now for almost two years."
The Washington Post also reported that the Biden Administration is working on an offer to spend more on hospitals, tests, and vaccinations. Attempts to reach the White House for additional comment were not prosperous.
President Joe Biden will be looking for a win after a turbulent few weeks. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin effectively destroyed the Build Back Better plan in December, and his centrist counterpart Kyrsten Sinema ended the voting rights push in January with a spirited defense of the Senate filibuster.
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If Biden advocates more virus-related funding, he will again meet opposition.
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Biden spoke about COVID-19 mitigation actions on January 13, pushing his long-standing "pandemic of the unvaccinated" stance while urging several other mitigation measures.
"Next week, we'll announce how we are making high-quality masks available to the American people for free," he said, holding a mask. "We're on track to roll out a website next week where you can order free tests shipped to your home."
The speech did not cite funding, though the White House has said the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan will pay for measures such as additional testing in schools.
Hoyer said some new emergency funding would be devoted to testing, preferably for free, expanding vaccinations domestically and abroad, and providing more money for schools.
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Republicans are asking for more details about how money from the American Rescue Plan and other virus-related bills was spent and how much of it remains. Congress has already approved $80 billion for COVID-19 testing overall.
A trio of House Republicans sent the Biden Administration a letter accusing the White House of a "lack of transparency and failure to answer the most basic questions" about the status of the $6 trillion supported till now. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee claim that less than a dime of every dollar in previous bills has been spent on healthcare, and Republican senators are asking for more details on how existing funds are being used to keep schools open.
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