Divided House debates Dems’ expansive social, climate bill

A divided House finally launched debate Thursday on Democrats’ expansive social and environment bill, with party leaders hoping that cost estimates expected from Congress’ top fiscal analyst would nail down moderate lawmakers’ votes and allow passage by week’s end.

Two weeks after centrists’ objections forced Democrats to delay the measure, the bill began moving amid optimistic signs from leaders and lawmakers that their divisions were all but resolved — for now. Facing uniform Republican opposition, Democrats can lose no more than three votes to prevail in the House.

The package, a top priority for President Joe Biden, would bolster child care assistance, create free preschool, curb seniors’ prescription drug costs and beef up efforts to slow climate change.

Biden and other Democratic leaders have said the 10-year, $1.85 trillion measure would pay for itself, largely through tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad.

A cost estimate on the bill, promised by Friday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, was expected to show a modestly higher price tag and deficits of perhaps $200 billion over the coming decade. Early signs were that those differences were unlikely to derail the legislation, which exceeds 2,100 pages.

“Each of these investments on its own will make an extraordinary impact on the lives of American families,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., ticking off the bill’s initiatives. Noting that savings would come from higher levies on the rich and corporations, he added, “It’s a helluva deal.”

Republicans said the legislation would damage an economy already racked by inflation, give tax breaks to some wealthy taxpayers and make government bigger and more intrusive. Missouri Rep. Jason Smith, the Budget Committee’s top Republican, used alliteration from Biden’s name for the measure — Build Back Better — to mock it.

“Bankrupts the economy. Benefits the wealthy. And it builds the Washington machine,” Smith said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she was hoping the chamber would vote on the measure later Thursday, reflecting Democratic plans to approve the measure before leaving for a weeklong holiday break. “This is going to be a wonderful Thanksgiving,” she said.

The debate came with Democrats hoping to move toward delivering a badly needed victory for Biden.