According to the White House, President Joe Biden intended to tell progressives on Monday that the final reconciliation package would be less than the initial $3.5 trillion.
Biden To Meet Democrats Virtually
In a recently published article in Newsweek, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the virtual conference was planned for Monday afternoon to discuss the way ahead, which includes acknowledging that the package would be less than initially suggested.
Psaki also added that President Joe Biden wants to know what their objectives are and what their bottom lines are so he can help move things ahead in a positive way. Biden wants to unify the Democrats to adopt his proposed $3.5 trillion huge spending plan, which has been stalled due to some disagreements.
Biden is also expected to meet with moderate Democrats later this week, according to the White House, as talks on the massive spending bill continue after Congress reached a stalemate last week, as per The Wall Street Journal reports.
Importance of Reconciliation Process in the $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan
Reconciliation would enable Democrats to execute most of Biden's "Build Back Better" program without having to wait for a 60-vote filibuster in the Senate. Expanding education, health care, and child assistance, as well as fighting climate change via increased infrastructure expenditures, are among the bill's top priorities.
However, Democrats cannot afford to lose even one member of their caucus in order for the plan to succeed; and moderates like Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin have said that a $3.5 trillion price tag would not be acceptable, according to a report published in Yahoo News.
Furthermore, Manchin has offered a $1.5 trillion topline, which has been rejected by progressives. Manchin's proposal, said to Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, "is not going to happen." Biden has proposed a $2 trillion ceiling for the reconciliation bill.
Other Important Information of the $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan
Senator Bernie Sanders told a news outlet over the weekend that he anticipates some "give and take" on the bill's price tag but that $3.5 trillion "should be a minimum." Progressives have vowed to derail a vote in the House on a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan that was previously approved by the Senate unless the reconciliation package is enacted.
In a published article in CNBC News, in a letter to colleagues on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Congress and the White House must achieve an agreement on the contents of the funding measure "ideally within a matter of days, not weeks."
By the end of October, Schumer said, the bipartisan infrastructure measure and the spending package must be on Biden's desk. He also said that none of this would be simple. Sacrifice, compromise, and finding common ground will all be required. Nobody will be able to obtain everything they want. He is sure, however, that they will be pleased with the final product, a law that will significantly enhance the lives of all Americans, not just now but for decades to come.
