WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden told a group of Republican senators on Monday he hoped his proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package could pass with bipartisan support in the US Congress, but he "will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment," the White House said.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had a "substantive and productive discussion" at the White House with the senators and the president told the senators their scaled-down $618 billion COVID-19 aid proposal did not address urgent issues in many areas, the White House said in a statement.