President Biden is meeting with Democrats on Capitol Hill for a “final” push on his spending agenda. Many details are unclear, including whether progressives will support it without details.
Summary
Democrats’ attempts to pay for their massive social spending agenda with a wealth tax on billionaires is facing opposition inside their own party.
- It looks like the paid family leave component has been removed from the bill as negotiations with holdouts like Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema continue in what is being considered the final stretch.
- President Biden is visiting Capitol Hill to powwow with House Democrats in an attempt to get a full seal of approval on a new “framework” of the agenda.
- Reports indicate the details of Biden’s pitch “were not immediately clear” or whether the progressive wing of the party will support any plan without concrete details.
- The negotiations on the bill have created infighting, with moderates accusing Manchin and Sinema of flip-flopping on issues like corporate taxes and “raising different issues late in the game” and “eroding people’s trust” that they want passage.
- Nevertheless, efforts are underway to include various provisions but only fund them for a year or two, knowing how difficult it would be for Republicans to allow them to expire once implemented.
- CNBC highlighted Biden’s trip to the Hill today, saying it’s being considered “a very good sign that party leaders had finalized a deal.”
- The New York Times characterized the last-minute efforts to fund the bill as drastically re-writing the tax code, pairing skepticism from Manchin and Sinema with criticism from a former Republican staffer in their reporting.
- Slate put Manchin on blast for “murdering” the opportunity to tax billionaires into oblivion.
- OANN focused on the difference of opinion between Speaker Pelosi, who thinks a framework is enough to move forward on a vote, and Rep Pramila Jayapal who leads the Progressive Caucus and wants to see legislative text.
- The Daily Caller highlighted the grilling CNN anchor Kate Bolduan gave guests questioning Democrats’ ability to sell a bill that has been stripped of their supposed top priorities.
- Townhall relished in Machin’s status as a murderer of Democrats’ and progressives’ agenda, saying he’s a “no” on paid family leave and now a “no” on the billionaire tax.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
