President Joe Biden traveled to Michigan today to tout the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrat-only budget reconciliation plan known as the “Build Back Better” plan.
He’s on the road because these two pieces of legislation are crucial to his domestic agenda and remain in jeopardy mainly due to divided Democrats.
Democrats are now looking to pass both the infrastructure bill and a larger spending package by the end of October, but it’s still unclear if progressive and centrist Democrats will reach a deal by then to get either bill across the finish line.
“This is a process,” said President Biden Monday. “We’ll get it done.”
The budget reconciliation price tag is the main issue holding up negotiations with centrist Democrats wanting a $1.5 trillion cap while progressives argue that’s not nearly enough.
“That’s too small to get our priorities in,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chair of the House Progressive Caucus, told CNN. “It’s going to be somewhere in between $1.5 and $3.5.”
Progressive House Democrats are withholding support for the Senate-passed infrastructure bill until an agreement is reached on the budget reconciliation package, delaying a much-needed legislative win for President Biden.
“We’re in the process of continuing to talk to all the parties and see what we can get done,” claimed Biden.
Far-left protestors are turning on the centrists, going as far as following Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) into a bathroom and using a kayak flotilla to surround Senator Joe Manchin’s houseboat.
BREAKING: Blanca, an AZ immigrant youth confronts @SenatorSinema inside her classroom, where she teaches @ ASU. “in 2010 both my grandparents got deported bc of SB1070…my grandfather passed away 2 wks ago & I wasn’t able to go to Mexico bc there is no pathway to citizenship.” pic.twitter.com/JDZYY2fOD2
— LUCHA Arizona (@LUCHA_AZ) October 3, 2021
“We’re working, we’re working everything we can to create good opportunity,” Sen. Manchin (D-W.Va.) told protestors who surrounded the houseboat he lives on in Washington, D.C.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who wants to see a deal reached, also needs to bring Democrats together to raise the debt ceiling before the U.S. runs out of money to pay its bills come October 18th.
“If Republicans want to vote to stop payments from going to Social Security recipients or veterans, then be my guest,” said Schumer on the Senate floor this week. “But they ought to get out of the way and let the legislation pass the Senate.”
Republicans want to force the party in power to raise the debt ceiling alone through the reconciliation process.
“Democrats need to tackle the debt limit,” declared Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. “We gave them a roadmap and three months notice. I suggest that our colleagues get moving.”
Leader Schumer argues it’s too risky for Democrats to use reconciliation to raise the debt ceiling because they might not get the bill passed in time.
If nothing is done by October 18th, however, the American people could see an unprecedented economic catastrophe.
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