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U.S. Democrats to pare climate, social spending; no clear target

Published 10/03/2021, 10:18 AM
Updated 10/03/2021, 08:26 PM
© Reuters. A general view of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Al Drago

© Reuters. A general view of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Al Drago

By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Congressional Democrats face the hard work of paring back the White House's sweeping infrastructure and social agenda in the week ahead, but have yet to agree on a target size for their multi-trillion dollar spending bill.

Democrats said on https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-struggle-reach-deal-congress-bidens-agenda-2021-10-01 Friday that their sweeping bill intended to bolster the social safety net and fight climate change will need to be trimmed from a $3.5 trillion goal, perhaps to closer to $2 trillion, following a visit by the president to Capitol Hill to sell his agenda.

But they have come no closer to agreement on that figure over the weekend.

Progressive (NYSE:PGR) Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, told ABC News Sunday that $3.5 trillion "should be a minimum. But I accept there is going to have to be give and take."

Moderate Democrat Joe Manchin said his top line for the package is $1.5 trillion, while fellow moderate Krysten Sinema has not committed publicly to a number.

Addressing Manchin's $1.5 trillion limit, the influential chair of the 95-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Pramila Jayapal, told CNN Sunday: "That's not gonna happen. Because that's too small to get our priorities in. So, it's gonna be somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 (trillion dollars)."

Biden, who has said he will "work like hell" to get the legislative package passed, travels to Michigan on Tuesday to rally support for it, the White House said Sunday. Michigan has a congressional delegation that in some ways represents the broad scope of the Democratic party, from moderate Representative Elissa Slotkin to progressive Representative Rashida Tlaib.

Howell, Michigan, where the president will visit, is in Slotkin's district.

Some Democrats will inevitably be disappointed, a senior White House official said Sunday.

"People will not get everything they want, that is the art of legislating, but the goal here is to get both bills, and we’re going to fight until we get both bills," Cedric Richmond, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.

After earlier agreeing at moderates' urging to hold a House vote last week on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that passed the Senate in an August bipartisan vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi canceled the vote Friday at the urging of progressives who want both bills to move in unison.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday the goal is to get both the infrastructure and social spending bills done in the next month. Congress also needs to act in the next month to save the federal government from a catastrophic debt default.

Republicans flatly oppose the social spending bill and mocked the Democrats' decision to cancel the infrastructure vote last week. "You saw last week an epic collapse of President Biden's agenda, but they're not going to stop there," House Republican whip Steve Scalise told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

Tensions remain high among Democrats. Sinema on Saturday slammed party leadership for delaying the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package, saying the decision was "inexcusable" and eroded trust. That vote should be held "well before" Oct. 31, Pelosi said Saturday.

Both Jayapal and another prominent progressive, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said Sunday that one way to trim the social spending plan would be to fund some programs for a shorter time period than originally envisaged.

But they both also suggested the proposals to fight climate change were not negotiable.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden talks to reporters as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi watches after the president met with Democratic lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol to promote his bipartisan infrastructure bill on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

Democrats have limited time to reach agreement on the larger bill, as they face several other deadlines in the weeks ahead.

The most critical comes first. The Treasury Department has warned it will be unable to pay its bills by around Oct. 18 unless Congress acts to raise or suspend the $28.4 trillion debt limit. That could trigger a historic debt default that would take a heavy toll on the United States and world economies.

Latest comments

win
losers
we want more Free stuff white people are Greedy..
Should be the other way around. 3.5 T Infrastructure spending and 1T Social.I believe they give enough free money out already. Continuously never-ending unemployment benefits and countless free stimulus checks.The lazy won't work no matter how much money through to them anyway.
Oh what are they going to do? Cry
After the Afghanistan disaster, it is now become crucial for President Biden to take an active step to end the current deadock by having Congress pass the infra bill instead of holding it hostage to the social bill.
cause you missed econ class
Cant wait to see those DEMS cry Pleasures my soul
Do you really think REPS could have done better? Especially under the chaotic character of Trump? The truth dan fate of America really sadden me, instead of gathering together and fight for a befter futures, parties and leaders are wasting energy fighting each other.
  Absolutely.
trump was great- no world issues but he's chaotic- I wonder what biden is
Republicans will do anything to crater the future. We are destroying the planet and they want to leave the next generation holding the bag.
We are laughing with our popcorn 🤣🍿🤣🍿🤣🍿🤣🍿
yes let's focus on possible issues millions of years away. forget issues now- horrible education, crime, poverty, border crisis, energy crisis, supply shortages- yea we won't last to see climate change
I love his posts, he gets everyone riled up
Democrats are the party of hypocrisy. They do everything Republicans do in the form of corruption they are just hypocrites about it. 🥱
Bang on, and always taking the moral high ground makes them even worse. Too bad their followers are to naive or not informed enough to realize it.
never seen more virtue signalling from anyone more than the religious right. Give it a rest.
 See now, virtue signaling is a uniquely dem activity. You keep try to label conservatives with traits that specifically describe liberals. For example, right now you are projecting (dem transgressions) onto conservatives which laughingly is another uniquely liberal attribute. Classic stuff here.
'Republicans have thus far refused to vote to address the crisis..' -- Why is everything in America a 'crisis'? Do Americans have ADD? Do we hear such talk from China / Germany / Britain / ... about a budget deficit refinancing / debt ceiling reapproval crisis?
US people like shows.
The left needs people to be fearful or feel as though their victims to get their vote. Socialism is fueled by envy and jealousy, so they breed it.
Rohit
Time for Manchin to end this permanently and just switch parties.  Go where he belongs.  We'll gladly take him.
Agree hes just a republican at this point. WV should have opportunity to elect a real Dem if they want to.
Lol Ben, they already do!
 If Manchin goes GOP there is a zero point zero chance he ever loses again in that state.  The problem for him is if he stays dem
U r paying already for Biden socialist spending (pay dead beat renters, etc) due to inflation. The more the gov spends, the higher inflation will get. The 3.5T has nothing to do with infrastructures. It is about giving more money to the unions, and green people.
u see people wont have a problem if all ( I ) get a cut. It is all about (i). The problem with Biden is dead beat people get the money at working people expense.
full blown mmt bro. Socialist is putting it mildly. If you worked you didnt need the money.
 That was actually an overreaction to China’s covid gift. You’re right, it should have been much lower, but all the blue states were running around with their hair on fire screaming for more money, aaand ventilators. Pft.
in Mexico we have seen first hand what the left can do ..now we are ruled by Cartels. and if the weakling American wants more evidence look at History..you are declining. your children will be poor and will have less freedom
benny has some unique deluaions
Hillary Clinton invested in prison system for decades
 oh, so laws against cocaine and heroin in the US caused Mexico’s problems? Brilliant!
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