Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) is pressing President Joe Biden not to stray too far from the original $3.5 trillion price tag for the sweeping reconciliation bill containing his top policies on social benefits.
Sorry Jayapal, this isnât Deal or No Deal and your caucus isnât holding a briefcase with a piece of paper that has 3 trillion written on it.
All youâre doing is adding more drama to situation that already has enough drama.
Added:
Itâs whatâs in the briefcase that Manchin is holding that counts.
So Jayapal should roll over for Joe Manchin who canât or wonât articulate why fellow Americans donât deserve help, a boost, or some compassion. He could start with defining what âentitlementâ means to him.
He hasnât negotiated he has demanded with a style known as âBecause Iâm your father, and I donât have to explain anythingâ.
Your politics is far to dysfunctional. Itâs time for a revolution.
You firstâŚâŚ
The range provided by Biden to Congress was between 1.9 to 2.2 trillion.
Heâs been talking with both Manchin and Sinema numerous times over the past few months. I suspect that is the range he realizes is doable.
That range is better than the 1.5 trillion that Manchin first staked out.
This Jayapal lady is growing on me.
All yâall need to stop being absurd. Sheâs 100% correct to keep fighting for her caucusâs priorities. Manchin and Sinema will vote for something significantly larger than 1.5 when faced with the choice of 0.
NY Mag said it much more succinctly than I could have - Manchin is utterly full of shit.
The part where people really, for real, truly donât get that Jaypal is acting as the stalking horse for Nancy and Joe in these negotiations is hilarious to me.
Jesus people. Read her words carefully. She always makes it clear she isnât making any ultimatums, that she knows she has to come down even as her topline has drifted steadily, if slowly, downward.
Have you heard a single word of admonishment or concern from either Nancy or Joe them directed toward the progressives in this negotiation? No. You have not. Because without them at the other end of the tug of war rope, they have no leverage with Manchsinema and are just negotiating against themselves.
No one is readier to give the progs grief than me, but itâs that reflex thatâs making the whole thing work, letting Biden, Schumer and Pelosi position themselves as mediators rather than parties to the negotiation.
How close is the coordination? We wonât know until the tell-alls and memoirs are written. But whether explicit or wink and nod tacit or somewhere in-between, the dynamic is clear to anyone whoâs ever actually been involved in a protracted negotiation.
Which begs the question - who is Manchin fighting for? I mean, other than himself and his family?/rhetorical
Exxon and Merck.
For fuckâs sake, she is doing exactly what she should be doing. House Progressives have played this exactly right and every positive of the last week on this topic (return to discussion of reconciliation, continued argument in favor of nuking the filibuster, Manchin & Sinema more and more on the hot seat) is a result of Jayapalâs and the Caucusâs leadership.
WRONG. Recognize that the rhetoric is part of the sausage-making. It is absolutely necessary. Say again: Jayapal has played this exactly right.
But lower than what POTUS is going to get.
Damned straight. Fantastic leadership.
Yep.
Sheâs supposed to hold to that line, otherwise, if 2.2 or whatever is the new topline of negotiations, that gets split and you end up with 1.8.
OT-Happy Friday!
Not long ago I was more than a little nervous thinking about what might come after Pelosi. Not anymore.
Iâm not worried either. Jayapal is a Northwestern and Georgetown educated MBA.
Speaking of chops, CHOP is in her district.
Christ on a bike, I canât wait to buy a used car from YOU!
Instead of just trading numbers why doesnât she phrase it in terms of what the bill includes and what would have to be cut in terms of programs and not money. The position should be that it will all be paid for so the number is less important than what would have to be dropped. Do you want to decide if kids get fed or housed or medical care? Thatâs what would have to happen if those cuts are made. Make the Republicans object to that rather than the money which is a no brainer for them.
Sheâs not wrong. Dems should hold the line at $2.5T.
Only if the House Progressive Caucus will vote for the bipartisan package. Both sides have to agree, or neither gets what they want.
Well, damn, and here I was thinking the House of Representatives has to be where all bills involving spending originate. Oh, wait, it is.
1.2, because the 1.8 number will turn out to be too high for Sinema, and Mitch will graciously offer 1.0, which Manchin will insist the Dems accept because âbipartisanshipâ.