Democrats made major progress Tuesday on their $1.75 trillion social spending bill and are hoping to imminently reach a final deal that could make way for House votes on President Joe Biden’s agenda as early as this week.
Amid ongoing resistance from some moderates, Democrats are hoping to release the final legislative text of the bill soon, possibly by Tuesday evening. They clinched a deal on lowering the costs of prescription drugs, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York announced Tuesday afternoon. And they’re working on final negotiations related to climate and immigration provisions as well as state and local tax deductions sought by Northeast members of Congress.
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But as a breakthrough on a deal comes into focus, the voting timeline for the Build Back Better Act still looks unpredictable and could be a long way off. Moderate Democrats are ready for an immediate vote on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that has been delayed twice but are pumping the brakes on quickly passing the social spending legislation.
A handful of Democratic centrists in the House reportedly won’t vote for the latter measure until there’s a cost estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. On top of that, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia threw a curveball on Monday when he wouldn’t endorse the Build Back Better bill that allocates significant funds for child care, climate and education initiatives.
But even without public assurances that he’ll ultimately get on board, Democratic leaders are still eyeing possible votes this week, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California wouldn’t commit to scheduling one yet. And a top progressive has said her wing of the party is ready to vote on both pieces of legislation in a matter of days after successfully blocking past votes on the infrastructure bill until a deal on the spending bill materializes.
While disagreements remain on timing, Democrats still took a big step forward after a deal on prescription drug prices was reached between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who also hasn’t publicly endorsed the entire spending bill. The negotiated provision would, among other things, cap annual out-of-pocket spending for seniors on Medicare at $2,000 and allow Medicare to negotiate prices for some medications.
Securing Manchin and Sinema’s support for the Build Back Better bill is critical for Democrats, who hold a slim majority in the split 50-50 Senate. By passing that legislation through the budget reconciliation process, Democrats don’t need any GOP votes but must get all 50 of their members to back it. Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tie-breaking vote.
Democrats are trying to move both parts of Biden’s agenda quickly but final passage will still take some time, even if it moves through the House by the end of the week. Schumer laid out the timing for the Build Back Better Act, saying it could reach the Senate for debate by Nov. 15.
“I am very hopeful there will be an agreement as early as today that will include landmark reforms sought by the American people and the Democratic Party,” Schumer said from the Senate floor on Tuesday morning. “There are a lot of good things in this framework, and Democrats are moving forward to get a final agreement and this bill over the finish line.”
Progressive Democrats have been wary about moderates’ commitment to the social safety net package, but they’ve pivoted in their strategy as a deal looks more realistic. They say they’re putting all their trust in Biden, who remains bullish that all 50 Democratic senators will vote for the Build Back Better bill. Some progressives previously said they wouldn’t move forward on the infrastructure bill until the spending legislation is final and Manchin and Sinema publicly endorsed it. Others wanted a vote on that bill first before they’d support the bipartisan one.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington argued Tuesday that her caucus’ mindset hasn’t shifted and reiterated support for votes this week now that a deal is within reach, though it’s still unclear on the timing and the order of the bills. The House Rules Committee could meet to discuss the Build Back Better bill as early as Wednesday if the final text is released shortly.
“We’re going to vote both bills out this week. We’re going to trust the president that he’s going to deliver 51 votes,” Jayapal told reporters at the Capitol earlier on Tuesday. “He believes he’s confident he can deliver 51 votes.”
Even with Manchin’s latest opposition to the spending bill, Biden voiced the same confidence in Democratic unity for his two-part agenda that he did when releasing the framework last week.
“(Manchin) will vote for this if we have in this proposal what he has anticipated … ,” Biden said at a press conference from the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. “I believe that Joe will be there.”
