As discussions with Democrats continued over the weekend, Biden continued to push his economic program to completion.
Schumer and Manchin Met Pres. Joe Biden
In a recently published article in MSN News, President Joe Biden welcomed Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York at his Delaware home on Sunday to reach an agreement on a broad economic and climate package.
According to a source knowledgeable on the arrangements, the House is considering voting on the bipartisan infrastructure deal on Wednesday or Thursday and having a thorough agreement on the bigger social safety net bill before then to help persuade progressives to support the bipartisan legislation.
However, the exact cost of the bigger proposal is unknown, but Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, has told Democratic leaders that he's open to $1.75 trillion, according to the person who knows this matter per POLITICO reports.
Pelosi Met Biden Before POTUS Departs For His Trip in Europe
On Friday, Biden met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to resume discussions. Biden would want to reach an agreement before departing for an international trip late next week, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Pelosi said that Manchin, Schumer, and Biden are meeting to settle some of the details. The idea is to vote on the almost $2 trillion social expenditure package this week. She also said that they are likely to reach an agreement, according to a published article in NBC News.
Meanwhile, Biden's town hall on Thursday night in Baltimore, where he revealed additional information on how the spending plan is coming together, touched on some topics that seem to be set in stone and others that are still up in the air, before the White House meeting with the leaders on Friday.
Furthermore, officials familiar with the meeting said it was unlikely to result in a final deal or even a preliminary agreement on a framework for Democrats to unveil. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had expressed optimism that the bill's specifics would be finalized during Sunday's meeting between Biden, Schumer, and Manchin. Instead, it was supposed to address unresolved concerns in the discussions and, ideally, move ahead in areas where Manchin is still opposed, such as climate legislation, Medicare expansion, and paid leave.
Manchin's Role in Biden's Economic Agenda
Manchin was one of two significant dissenters on the plan. He successfully narrowed the bill's scope on multiple fronts, from the total cost to critical components such as climate change legislation and the duration and breadth of the enlarged child tax credit.
According to people familiar with the negotiations, several of Manchin's concerns have yet to be resolved, as Democrats battle over key elements such as the push for an expansion of Medicare for hearing, vision, and dental coverage, as well as a more modest national paid leave program proposal and whether it will make it into the final proposal.
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