According to a new report, Senator Joe Manchin gave Majority Leader Chuck Schumer a significantly lower number for a multibillion-dollar reconciliation plan proposed by President Joe Biden – on multiple occasions for failing to support the price of $ 3.5 trillion. After swearing.
At the end of July, Munchkin (DW.V.) and Schumer (D-NY) reached an agreement to start a debate on budget reconciliation “no earlier than October 1, 2021”, with a turnover of 1,500 billion of dollars. , according to a copy of the deal obtained by Politico.
According to the outlet, Munchkin is handing out the deal to show his Democratic allies that he has met his terms in Biden’s $ 3.5 trillion Build Back Better program.
The two senators signed the agreement, which set out several modalities of spending related to “families and health” and “climate”.
“Senator Manchin does not guarantee that he will vote for a final conciliation law if he exceeds the conditions set out in this agreement,” the agreement said.
The report comes as House Democrats scramble to pass a $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure deal passed by the Senate. Progressive Democrats have said they will not pass the infrastructure deal unless they have a deal to pass a massive $ 3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill.
Liberals such as Munchkin and Senator Kirsten Cinema (D-Ariz) and progressives such as caucus leaders, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) recently indicated their will to kill both Is. Day.
On Wednesday, Munchkin insisted he would not support $ 3.5 trillion in social spending, reiterating his call for Democrats to stop the process. The cinema also said the price was too high.
“Every member of Congress has a serious duty to do what they think is best for the country and the American people, not just for their party. Respectfully, as I have been saying for months, I cannot stand more than $ 3.5 trillion in spending. Perhaps, when we have already spent $ 5.4 trillion since last March. At some point, all of us, no matter what party, have to ask ourselves the simple question: how much is -this sufficient? ”he said in a statement.
Following Manchin’s remarks, Jayapal told reporters he believed his remarks prompted more progressive people to try to block the bipartisan bill, saying he would be dead when he reached the House. .
While progressives pledged to vote against the infrastructure deal if the reconciliation package is not passed first, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assured a vote on the bipartisan bill on Thursday, stating that “we are on the right track to win the vote”.
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