Manchin has put a specific number on a Reconciliation Bill total of $1.5 trillion. DO IT I say!!!
www.cnn.com/...
I appreciate that Biden apparently said he still needs more from him and I hope he continues to apply that pressure or try to sweeten what’s in it for him in some way. But I never thought that this would end up actually being more than $2 trillion for the BBB — realistically there is no way Manchin or Sinema (and maybe some other Senate Dems who have not had to show their cards yet because there has not been a final number yet) would have gone for $3.5 or 3 or even 2.5.
While I was TOTALLY on board with the Josh Marshall TPM article and am still supportive of, for example, primarying Sinema in 2024, the facts have now changed. We have some real movement, which I will definitely credit both the Progressive Democrats in the House (and a little Bernie and other Senators) and President Biden for. Gaming this out, with the House progressives doing their part and not caving and truly threatening the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill, brought us to this point.
It is because of that real commitment that I think we can even get a $1.5-2 trillion BBB type of agenda, IN ADDITION TO the roughly $1.2 trillion Infrastructure bill. That will total almost $3 trillion in both physical and “human” infrastructure and strengthening current programs and adding some more that are necessary or will be popular. While we don’t know yet exactly what basically halving the BBB will require cutting, it will be MUCH MORE than anything in the previous administration or even under President Obama, and will be exactly the type of thing that Biden and the Dems were elected to do.
Let’s take this compromise (assuming Sinema does not want to be left out alone looking like a true spoiler now that Manchin has told us a little bit of “where he is”) and get on board and be EXCITED about this. It would truly be a great start….not everything can be in it, or not funded as much as possible, or as long as we want. But it is usually most important to just START new government initiatives — get the first law passed and improve and tinker and increase funding down the road when it becomes politically more difficult for Congress to oppose/cut programs that have become popular and successful.
Earlier, I was on board the “Kill the Bill” train and don’t be bullied by the likes of 2 senators holding up the majority of the Biden/Dem agenda. Now, I have hope that Manchin has slightly “blinked” or at least shown he is willing to bargain in good faith (again, remains to be seen if Sinema will just follow his lead at this point). Under these circumstances, I would say we do not “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory” and that Pelosi help thread that political needle to get the progressives on board for what I hope will be at least $3 trillion in combined infrastructure and safety net spending from the combined bills. No, it’s not $5 trillion combined, but it would be a helluva a legislative victory for Biden and Pelosi and something we can all campaign on in 2022 and 2024 as people and the economy generally begin to see the benefits.