Posted on 12/15/2021 4:44:02 PM PST by karpov
A push by Senate Democrats to pass a roughly $2 trillion tax-and-spending measure before Christmas appeared in dire political peril Wednesday, as talks soured between President Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) over the size and scope of the economic package.
Despite days of negotiations, the gaps between the two sides seemed newly immense. Biden sought to safeguard his economic agenda from significant cuts, while Manchin continued to insist on steep spending reductions. The private wrangling offered a marked contrast with the public proclamations of progress coming from both powerful Democrats in recent weeks.
The impasse left party lawmakers on Capitol Hill impatient and frustrated, after they spent months trying to slim down their original spending ambitions to win Manchin’s still-elusive support. Some Democrats grew especially concerned about the fate of one of their most widely touted proposals — an extension of a soon-expiring federal program that provides roughly 35 million families with monthly child tax aid. Without a resolution, those Americans could have received their final payment Wednesday.
Other Democrats privately began weighing a change in their approach, shifting focus in the final weeks of the year from the spending initiative to voting rights. Yet it remained unclear if Democrats could shepherd those election reforms through the ever-divided chamber, since Manchin similarly has stood his ground in that debate
...
In private negotiations with the president, Manchin has maintained that Democrats should spend no more than $1.75 trillion, the second person said. And the senator has held firm in his belief that any program in the 10-year spending measure should occur over the full decade period — which, in the case of the child tax credit, could cost $1.4 trillion. That could make it impractical for Democrats to reauthorize the program while meeting Manchin’s needs.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Why don’t they just stop this we know they’re going to pass it and many more
Pay everyone in U.S. 1 million dollars and save us all a lot of debt. Please don’t ruin our beloved United States.
personally, I’m ok with this or anything bigger passing.
Pedal to the metal baby, pedal to the metal. This spending will sink us that much faster.
Kabuki theater. I don’t know many time Lucy can tee up the football and conservatives blindly attempt to kick it.
The left wingers are really hating Manchin right now. They hate his guts.(think McCain type hate from our side)
Did you see how well Trump did in West Virginia in 2016 & 2020?
What he really means is Biden has not agreed to his list of demands yet.
I find it harder and harder not to agree with you.
Democrats and Republicans have just been fighting over how fast to go over the cliff for decades.
“Why don’t they just stop this we know they’re going to pass it and many more”
Manchin is a clever Politian. The only thing he’s concerned about is getting reelected. He will do whatever that takes, whether it screws the party or not. My guess, however, is he will get so much money for his district he thinks that will get him reelected. He is probably right. He’s just playing hard-to-get. He’s also taking the heat off Democrats by playing this game. It also allows weaker Democrats who maybe would like to vote no, but are afraid to, from having to declare such an unpopular stance. It keeps his profile high while costing him nothing.
I think he at care about more than reelection... like a 2024 nomination.
I don’t know if it matters anymore with all the geriatric pols who want to be President, but Manchin is 74 years old today. I think he looks pretty good for his age, but starting his first term in 2025 at 77 might be a stretch.
Fine by me.
FYI: I never use the word “trillion.” I think a more accurate description is $Two Thousand Billion.
As long as “talks” continue, we cannot have any comfort.
An anonymous-sourced article in the WaPo. Summit of believability.
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