Congress should spend $163 billion on bolstering COVID-19 testing in the U.S., increase vaccine distribution and administration and finance medical research of new variants of the virus, Rep. Tom Reed on Friday said. 

Reed is introducing a standalone measure for the spending as lawmakers and President Joe Biden's administration negotiate a far larger $1.9 trillion relief package that has been proposed.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives is set to approve its version of the stimulus measure on Friday; the Senate bill has faced a setback after a key official ruled a $15 minimum wage provision would conflict with the chamber's rules over fast-tracking the plan.

“Since the start of this pandemic, we have worked in good-faith with colleagues in both parties to pass five bipartisan COVID-19 relief package and deliver trillions of dollars of desperately needed aid, much of which has helped New York’s working families, small businesses, and communities," said Reed, a Republican who represents the state's Southern Tier region. 

“Instead of pushing partisan political wins and perpetuating bad policies, we should be coming together to focus federal funding on what matters most -- protecting the lives and livelihoods of the American people. 

Congress is facing a mid-March deadline to approve the stimulus package as unemployment benefits and other relief measures are due to expire. State and local governments, too, are seeking billions of dollars in direct aid to shore up their budgets amid an economic crisis created by the pandemic.