Posted on 08/01/2021 10:39:33 AM PDT by RandFan
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said during a rare Sunday session that Democrats are "on track" to pass a bipartisan infrastructure agreement and a budget resolution that will tee up a separate $3.5 trillion spending package before they leave for their summer break.
"Despite some bumps in the road, always expected on two bills as large and comprehensive as these, we remain firmly on track to achieve our two-track goal," Schumer said.
Schumer's comments come as the Senate is waiting for a bipartisan group of senators to finalize and release the text of its agreement for a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill over eight years, which would include $550 billion in new spending.
The group had hoped to release the legislation on Saturday, but that slipped as last-minute negotiations and drafting continued off of the Senate floor. Members of the bipartisan group indicated during Sunday morning show interviews that they expect the bill will be released later in the day.
Schumer, speaking from the Senate floor, said that he expected it to be "finalized imminently" and wants to pass it within "a matter of days."
The deal has already overcome two procedural hurdles with the support of roughly 17 GOP senators. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a member of the bipartisan group, said she thought it would have enough Republican support to pass as soon as later this week.
"My hope is that we'll finish the bill by the end of the week," Collins said on CNN's "State of the Union."
After the Senate finishes the bipartisan bill, Schumer reiterated that he will bring up the budget resolution that will greenlight and lay out the instructions for a $3.5 trillion spending package that includes top Democratic priorities such as expanding Medicare, combating climate change and reforming immigration.
"After the bipartisan infrastructure legislation passes this chamber, I will immediately move to the other track, passing a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions," he said.
The Senate had been expected to start its summer break on Aug. 9 but is expected to lose the first week in order to finish up its work.
To pass the budget resolution, Democrats will need total unity. Leadership is feeling increasingly confident that it will have all 50 votes for the budget, with key moderates such as Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) all pledging to take it up.
They are then expected to spend at least August and September drafting the spending package itself. If they'll be able to get all 50 Democratic votes in the Senate is less clear.
Sinema has said she won't support a $3.5 trillion price tag, and Manchin has raised concerns about spending.
“I can't really guarantee anybody. I have not guaranteed anybody on any of these pieces of legislation. Would we like to do more? Yes, you can do what you can pay for. This is paid for. Our infrastructure bill is all paid for. We don't have a debt, that we're going to incur more debt in throwing onto it,” Manchin told CNN on Sunday.
Yeah... The Swamp party and the politically connected who will get these trillions vs the tax payers and savers. Disgusting. This country is gone. It’s going to be a very very ugly future.
RINO Lindsey Grahmnesty is going with the democrats on this, I believe.
Can’t wait for $10 a gallon gasoline. The unvaccinated will likely be blamed.
Actually, the unvaccinated who are Trump supporters will be blamed.
The majority of unvaccinated who are black, Hispanic and young, will not even be mentioned.
Our DNCMedia looks out among the vast unwashed, and considers them all slack-jawed Trump yokels, while ignoring a larger group that is decidedly theirs.
Out of control government is out of control.
NONE OF THEM PASS WITHOUT REPUBLICAN SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!
ALL OF THEM PASS IF EVEN ONE GETS THROUGH!!!!!!
The U.S. federal government is OOC.
I’m not just talking about spending.
5.56mm
In Graham's case, between the pockets?
Schumer’s Republican elves:
Roy Blunt of Missouri
Richard Burr of North Carolina
Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
Susan Collins of Maine
Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
Mike Crapo of Idaho
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
John Hoeven of North Dakota
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Rob Portman of Ohio
Jim Risch of Idaho
Mitt Romney of Utah
Thom Tillis of North Carolina
Todd Young of Indiana”
Without Republican votes, the Democrats in Congress who want to eliminate the state and local tax deduction limit would have to be catered to. That means Democrats would have to vote for tax cuts for people in Maine, Kentucky, etc. I’d love to see the donkeys walk our talk.
Whats that bring us to now with the CV19 $1.6T”relief” bill and the one before...what $1+T? Aren’t we pushing $5Trillion in the last 12 months now?
to be fair, it might be difficult to defend a ‘no’ vote on debate...
that means they don’t have the votes
It’s Mathematically impossible to pay off the 3.5 Trillion.
It’s over, ruin for future generations.
.
Graham is a fool.
He only wants to serve the Dems.
.
The GOP knows they are greasing the skids for the 3.5 trillion dollar trainwreck with their bipartisan deal.
They want that amnesty as bad as the Democrats do.
No would have been the correct response, the bipartisan bill is just the Trojan horse for the country killing reconciliation.
Wait until interest rates have to rise to dampen down the roaring inflation to come, and we’re paying a trillion dollars or more each year to prevent defaulting on our debt. Wait until interest rates skyrocket to fight the eventual hyperinflation and interest on the debt consumes most or all of the annual federal budget. There are nightmares down the road that are beyond imagining.
Of course, the alternative of a serious deflationary depression may occur instead, but that’s another type of nightmare.
“bipartisan”
Latest list of RINOs.
Roy Blunt of Missouri
Richard Burr of North Carolina
Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
Susan Collins of Maine
Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
Mike Crapo of Idaho
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
John Hoeven of North Dakota
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Rob Portman of Ohio
Jim Risch of Idaho
Mitt Romney of Utah
Thom Tillis of North Carolina
Todd Young of Indiana”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.