Biden’s new budget framework met with hesitancy 

by mcardinal

Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News

 

President Joe Biden’s new $1.75 trillion spending framework was released with assurances that it would satisfy all sides of the months-long debate over how best to address infrastructure and social issues; but, within hours of his announcing the framework’s existence, the president faced push back from the far-left element of the Democratic Party. 

“After hearing input from all sides and negotiating in good faith with Senators (Joe) Manchin and (Kyrsten) Sinema, Congressional Leadership, and a broad swath of Members of Congress, President Biden is announcing a framework for the Build Back Better Act,” a Thursday White House statement reads. “President Biden is confident this is a framework that can pass both houses of Congress, and he looks forward to signing it into law. He calls on Congress to take up this historic bill – in addition to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – as quickly as possible.”

The Congressional Progressive Caucus almost immediately released a statement in which its members pledged to not support the infrastructure plan or framework unless it includes both infrastructure and social spending provisions. 

“Members of our Caucus will not vote for the infrastructure bill without the Build Back Better Act,” U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said. “We will work immediately to finalize and pass both pieces of legislation through the House together.”

The thrust of progressives’ objection was that the full language of the bill was not yet known, meaning they couldn’t confirm that their social spending plans were included. 

This, however, did not stop the White House from congratulating itself.

“Out of the gate, this unprecedented framework was welcomed across the country—including by organized labor, civil rights groups, business, and the climate community—and by every kind of Democrat in Congress,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “Legislative text is starting to become public, and the road to passing both critical parts of the President’s plan to make our economy deliver for middle class families—not just the wealthy—is clearer than ever.”

Republicans, meanwhile, remained steadfast in their opposition to all of President Biden’s plans. In an odd coincidence, Republicans found common ground with progressives in their displeasure at the lack of specific language for the framework. 

“My assumption, is, it is still under discussion among Democrats,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Fox Business’ “Kudlow”. “I’m not even sure they agreed to the framework.”

McConnell said any description of the framework as the result of bipartisan negotiation was inaccurate and predicted disaster should the Democrats’ plans come to fruition. 

“No matter what form this ultimately takes, it is a dramatic step in the wrong direction,” McConnell said. “Doubling down on what they have done earlier this year, which has already created massive unemployment, at least massive reluctance to go back to work, and raging inflation.”

While the new framework has not yet garnered progressive support and is unlikely to get any Republican support, it is believed that it has gained support from key figures. 

While neither Manchin nor Sinema officially endorsed the new plan, the intimation from the White House was that the two moderates did support the bill. 

As both Senators have fluctuated from tepid support to outright objection of the “Build Back Better”, Republican leadership hopes that either or both will eventually oppose the new framework.

“Joe Manchin, Krysten Sinema, the two most important Democrats in the Senate, have the ability to kill the whole package – to dramatically reduce the size of it,” McConnell said. “I’m praying for them every night.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is a supporter of the new plan and, as reported by The Hill, had hoped to bring the matter for a vote on Thursday. A lack of progressive support, thought, doomed this effort. 

Pelosi’s Republican counterpart, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, took a dig at the Speaker on Twitter, chiding her for pushing a vote on a bill for which the language was not yet known.

According to the Hill, Biden is pushing to get the framework passed prior to next week’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey – elections Democrats feel they cannot afford to lose.

President Biden has since departed the U.S. for a visit to a climate change summit in Glasgow, Scotland. 

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