Republicans have widdled down the President Biden Infrattuwture effort….
In order to accept what’s left?
Democrats want a Really BIG bill to be voted on thru a simple majority reconciliation vote….
It IS gonna be REALLY TOUGH…..
Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been pushing for an aggressive approach to the infrastructure talks and is angling to insert a large expansion of Medicare into Democrats’ plan. Earlier this week, Sanders said he opposed the emerging bipartisan agreement. He acknowledged that the bipartisan talks could impact his plans but vowed to proceed.
“It’s what the American people want,” Sanders said Thursday. “Virtually every proposal I’ve included in that budget is exactly what the American people want. They want us to create millions of good paying jobs and to do the other things that are long overdue.”
According to a tentative plan, half of the proposed Democrats-only alternative would be paid for. About $2.5 trillion would go through the Finance Committee, $185 billion through the Energy Committee and almost $500 billion through the Environment and Public Works Committee, one source said, while emphasizing that the discussions are fluid. The dollar amount, however, is likely to shrink as moderates weigh in. At the moment, it appears impossible that all 50 Democrats would get on board with such a large figure.
A spokesperson for the Budget committee declined to comment.
Moderate Democrats met with Schumer midday to discuss their bipartisan proposal, the budget and reconciliation, according to two sources familiar with the matter. They have signaled they are unlikely to go along with a package running into the multi-trillion-dollar range, but talks about a compromise are just beginning in earnest.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) laughed when asked if the $6 trillion number is too high. He said he was “open” to reconciliation but wants increases to the corporate income tax and capital gains to be more modest than as presented by Biden….
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Schumer may need to make sure he has unified support for a massive Democratic-only package before he can cut a deal on a separate, bipartisan bill….
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Moderates in the House, however, have balked at the price tag and the breadth of the package. While many moderates say they are willing to support policies beyond physical infrastructure, such as child care, there is little agreement about how far to go. House Democrats can only afford to lose four of their members on any given floor vote, and that margin will shrink to three votes after a special election in Texas in late July.
Note….
President Joe Biden’s good political luck is running out……