Domestic package: Biden says talks almost certain to push into next year.
Negotiations expected to push into next year
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has all but acknowledged negotiations over his sweeping domestic policy package will likely push into the new year, as he does not have the votes in the Senate to lift the roughly $2 trillion bill to passage.
Biden issued a statement Thursday night as it became increasingly apparent the Democratic senators will not meet their Christmas deadline, in large part because of unyielding opposition holdout Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
Biden said that in their recent discussions, Manchin has reiterated his support for the framework he, the president and other Democrats agreed to on the flagship bill.
Biden said he also briefed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier Thursday about the most recent round of talks with Manchin.
“I believe that we will bridge our differences and advance the Build Back Better plan, even in the face of fierce Republican opposition,” Biden said in the statement.
Biden said he and his team will continue to have discussions with Manchin next week. The White House and the congressional leaders plan to work “over the days and weeks ahead” to finish the details, he said.
Biden and Schumer are determined, Biden said, to bring the package to the Senate floor for votes as early as possible.
“We will, we must, get Build Back Better passed,” Biden said.
Biden’s statement was a much-needed intervention, allowing Senate Democrats an off-ramp to months of tangled negotiations that appear nowhere near resolved as time runs out before Christmas.
Democrats were rushing to show progress on another jammed-up priority: voting rights legislation that, Biden said, also faces hurdles. “We must also press forward on voting rights legislation, and make progress on this as quickly as possible,” Biden said.
Schumer, D-N.Y., set Senate passage before Christmas as his goal, but disputes with Manchin and other Democrats remain. It had become clear that the party was seeking an explicit move from Biden in hopes he would cut a deal with Manchin, or urge lawmakers to delay action until January.
The sudden end-of-year shift comes as Democrats suffered another blow to their agenda late Thursday when the Senate parliamentarian decided that efforts to include immigration law changes should be stripped from the package because they don’t comply with the chamber’s rules.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Biden, the administration and its partners in Congress “vehemently disagree” with the parliamentarian’s ruling.
Manchin has continued his drive to force his party to cut the bill’s cost and eliminate programs he opposes. All Republicans oppose the package, arguing the measure carrying many of Biden’s paramount domestic priorities is too expensive and would worsen inflation.
“The best Christmas gift Washington could give working families would be putting this bad bill on ice,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.