Weeks of negotiations over President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, so far hallmarked by over $1 trillion in concessions by the Democrats and much more paltry counter-concessions by the Republicans, hit a new phase this week when Biden reportedly offered to give up the tax hike that would have produced the lion’s share of revenue to pay for the plan.
This is absurd. A huge majority of Americans want to see the rich pay higher taxes. Put the damn thing up for a vote and dare Manchin to vote against it.
Is there any indication that, once Republicans reveal that they won’t even vote for the watered-down bill, that the White House - - let alone Congressional Democrats - - will push for the original pre-concession plan? And, as @carolson urges, make Manchin/Sinema vote for it?
Caveat: I’m well aware that Rs won’t agree to any proposal in the end, so this is really just wishcasting. But anyway…
At the risk of being flamed into oblivion, what about setting the 15% floor and raising the topline rate to 25% instead? In hypothetical unicorn world, Dems can say they substantially raised the rate AND set a floor, and Rs can say they avoided the dreaded 28% number.
/wishful thinking, I know
The only reactionary policy is preventing the Democrats from doing anything beneficial for the country or its people. (ed.)
All negotiations with them are a waste of time.
Now, if all our party’s members could wrap their heads around this idea, things could get done.
I worry about many things day to day, but this flare-up over what Biden did or didn’t say doesn’t faze me. I interpreted it as Biden saying if we don’t get the tax into the infrastructure bill, expect to see it in the budget reconciliation. Frankly, I think it is to make it absolutely clear that nothing will bring Republicans onboard with the concept of compromise.
Bingo.
Can we treat you as spokespony for hypothetical unicorns? You very much look the part…
About this hypothetical unicorn world … are you going to need an ambassador, by any chance? Because I know a certain third-grade girl who is exquisitely qualified…
In full disclosure, I’m a huge aviation geek in this world, so I’d have to imagine my cartoon self would be a pegasus instead. But I can talk to the unicorn in my avatar and see if they’ll volunteer. Should be no problem. 
Absolutely! I can’t think of a more qualified ambassador. 
So then you know that this is a Feint? Sorry, I wish I had that much faith in Biden, but I don’t.
Based on what, exactly? The only major thing that has gone through was the covid bill, and that one he did everything the same. Offered the republicans a chance to negotiate, when they did a bad-faith “offer”, pulled everything back and passed the original.
There’s no reason to believe he’s going to do anything different here, the question marks are all around manchin and sinema.
Is it Biden or is it that he doesn’t have the votes? (Manchin, others?). There are still too many Democrats who don’t know how to defend themselves from the “accusation” of being “liberal”.
Biden could throw in a rider to ban all abortion, zero out corporate taxes, make Texas the arbiter of all nation-wide school textbooks, and include enough funds to finish trump’s Wall, and still not get a single republican on board.
God I wish we could just lock them in a closet and carry on;. I hate that we need them.
It is high time that Democrats celebrated being Liberal, loudly, in public. And proudly make the case that liberal, progressive policies help people.
The simplest explanation would be that Biden is caving. I see lots of wink-wink, it’s-a-feint, 33-dimensional-chess hypotheses that sound great, but seem like wishful thinking to me. I hope I’m wrong.
Wasn’t it Manchin who first said he was in favor of massive infrastructure spending provided there were massive tax hikes to pay for it? Did I miss something? Like the part where he’s completely full of shit?
Same. Hope they come around, or there ain’t much happening for the next 18 months