The freshman Democrat has said he’ll withhold his support for Pelosi without a relief package deal.
Minnesota Democratic congressman Dean Phillips has thrust himself into the ongoing negotiations in Washington over a federal COVID-19 stimulus package, working with a group of lawmakers in both chambers to craft their own plan in the absence of a final deal from leaders.
Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of 50 lawmakers, say they’ve kept momentum going for a deal by proposing alternatives, including a $908 billion package they split into two parts this week to make passage easier in a divided Congress.
But Phillips’ work as part of the group has put the freshman from Minnesota’s suburban Third District in an awkward position. At times he’s had to defend his conservative colleagues in the caucus on national TV, while privately putting the pressure on his own Democratic leadership in the House to strike a deal. Continue reading.