Biden’s economic plan finally comes into focus
WASHINGTON — The White House’s concessions are piling up on President Joe Biden’s social-spending plan — including climate, education and child care provisions — as negotiations continue into the weekend.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday after breakfast with the president that “more than 90% is agreed to and written.”
But by the time it’s finished, the legislation will be far less ambitious than the president and progressive lawmakers had hoped, after its scope and price tag were winnowed at the behest of two Senate moderates, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema.
“Look, it’s all about compromise,” Biden said during a CNN town hall in Baltimore late in the week, adding that he’s confident he’ll get a deal. “‘Compromise’ has become a dirty word. But it’s bipartisanship, and compromise still has to be possible.”
Many priorities pushed by progressives appear on track to remain in the package but at a shorter duration than originally proposed. These include Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, expanded Medicaid coverage, universal prekindergarten, renewal energy tax credits, earned-income tax credit expansion, housing rental vouchers and mortgage assistance and clean water funds.
Meantime, Democrats plan to seek permission from the Senate parliamentarian to include a scaled-back immigration proposal shielding some undocumented immigrants from deportation and that may be included in the proposal.
Here are policies that have been cut from the legislation or narrowed so far.
Community college
Biden ran on the promise of providing free community college to all Americans who want it, but that’s one of the latest provisions to fall out of the bill, Biden said Thursday.
Instead, he said the package may increase Pell grants for low-income college students by about $500.
“So, it’s not going to get us there. But I promise you, I guarantee you we’re going to get free community college in the next several years across the board,” Biden said.
Climate provisions
Manchin, who represents the coal state of West Virginia and earns income from a coal brokerage he founded, insisted that the president drop a clean electricity program from the legislation — one of its major provisions to fight climate change.
Biden said he’s discussing with Manchin the possibility of diverting the money to tax incentives or other provisions.
Negotiators are still weighing alternative policies that would ensure the U.S. reaches the president’s climate goals of net-zero emissions from electric power by 2035 and netzero emissions overall by 2050. Manchin has said he would also oppose a carbon tax proposed by Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Paid family leave
Biden’s proposal had included three months of federal paid parental leave. He said Thursday that he had to cut that provision to four weeks.
“And the reason it’s down to four weeks, I can’t get 12 weeks,” he said.