While Congress is in recess this week, we’ll be watching negotiations on the infrastructure bill and presenting them to you in an evening briefing. Check in here to find out how the sausage-making is shaping up.
A compromise on the 3.5 number has always been in the cards. I do think the right way to do it will be by shortening the original duration of some of these programs; that will cut costs and hopefully make “Manchinema” happy.
It’s not just making them happy. If they want their bipartisan bill, they need to make the progressives happy as well.
Yep…now progressives start in-fighting for their programs because they can’t have them all and that’s precisely what the people paying Manchin and Sinema wanted to happen…heck, it’s what Manchin and Sinema themselves wanted. They are the very essence of traitors.
And the MSM will now have it’s favorite narrative in spades…“Dems in Disarray”…while people argue over whether it’s more important to feed malnourished children, provide child care assistance so people can work or start the project of protecting the planet so those children will have one…because this is America, and if you can dream it, sorry, the best we can do is only one or two things you can dream, so you’re gonna have to throw most of your dreams out with the bathwater the GQP pissed in and learn to accept that everyone but the 0.1% here is eventually going to be forced to live like this is actually a third-world country so that 0.1% can maintain its stranglehold over the country’s treasure.
Now, back to work and learn to dream broken dreams and hope wasted hopes on your own fucking time…
We need a real deadline, not a fake one. The longer they take on this, the less likely it is to happen. A natural disaster will distract anybody, or somebody will die, or something where if we’d just not wasted all these months on nothing we’d already have it done.
As a quick reminder, at least to my understanding, the $3.5T number was and IS “The Compromise”–down from Bernie’s $6 (or was it $10?)T!!!?!
You’re right. But …
Sanders:
do they not want to negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry and have Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices?
That horse was let out of the barn during the ACA negotiations. Where were you then Bernie?
In order to get the drug company’s support, the ACA negotiators gave the drug industry carte blanche to raise prices to infinity and beyond. Pharma Bro hiked 5,000% overnight. Pharma Sis (Heather) raised EpiPens 400%
Think it’s just my imagination prices spiked after the ACA passed in 2010?
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/obamacare-prescription-drugs-pharma-225444
Tom Daschle was one of the ACA architects, basically, he was a lobbyist for the drug industry.
I realize they needed the drug industry support in order to have the ACA pass, but they could’ve at least put a ceiling on insulin costs and other medication people can die without.
We complain a lot about dem messaging, but Bernie here has managed to shoehorn the policy choices in the bill into an answer about negotiations over the cost. S&M have (I think) publicly fixated on the cost because it sounds prudent-y^ and it side steps having to oppose the very popular provisions in the bill.
Sanders just put the focus back on what policies S&M are opposed to, while convienently reminding the viewers at home of the very popular options that are in the bill.
^truthy things are those which feel true, but aren’t; prudent-y policies seem fiscally prudent but are penny-wise and pound-foolish in the long run.
Pelosi’s presser decoded. These are just my takes.
She has a deal in mind that she believes she can sell to the caucus and one that will pass the Senate.
Given that Manchinema really haven’t engaged on specifics and insist that the Dems negotiate against themselves, she will essentially do an end run around Manchinema and dare them to vote ‘no’ on the Senate floor.
She appears to have co-opted Josh Gottheimer, who is now much more supportive of BBB judging by a recent op-ed and his twitter feed. Pelosi seems to be negotiating with him. My guess is Pelosi believes that if Gottheimer supports BBB, the House mods will and that will leave Manchinema exposed. Those 2 don’t like being on an island when they have few choices.
Progs will have to come down to the 2T range.
Pelosi has an idea in mind for the mix and match of programs that will be fully funded for 8 years vs those that will be shortened.
Pelosi is unwilling to force the abandonment of a single program b/c many are linked (e.g., CTC, pre-school) and b/c she will not negotiate against herself to please Manchinema. She is negotiating with House Mods, led by Gottheimer. The difference? While the House Mods can be a pain to deal with they have stood by Pelosi on 2 impeachment votes, ARP and a slew of other bills that won’t get past Manchinema in the Senate. There’s more trust there.
Pelosi has a card to play to get Manchinema’s acquiescence, if not outright support: the debt ceiling. We know Manchinema don’t want to vote for a filibuster exception to raise the debt ceiling but they almost had to and may have to in December. Pelosi and Yarmuth support a legislative measure to delegate the power to raise the debt ceiling to the Secretary of the Treasury. If Congress opposes the decision of the Treasury Sec, Congress will have the right to overrule by majority vote of the House and Senate (but such a bill will never get through the Senate b/c of the filibuster). Now, there’s no way the GOP will vote for such a measure, but Pelosi could put it in the reconciliation bill and that would require only 50 votes + the VP. Manchinema would go for that b/c it’s an easy fix to the debt ceiling without having to actually raise it. Janet Yellen will do it and the House/Senate Dems will back her up.
Pelosi is going to get some deal with her caucus, likely this week.
Good thoughts. Hope you are right!
That’s all on Obama, not Bernie
That bipartisan face saver for the GQP should be.voted in after the BBB passes both houses. That is the real deadline.
Better this should all have been voted on in one bill in the first place.
Love to.see a publicity blitz driving these points home to voters in West Virginia and Arizona.
Remember how Manchin panicked when Harris was on the air in West Virginia?
That is true, Manchin, Sinema and Gothhiener went back on the deal. Nothing but liars they are.
As the saying goes, from your mouth, etc., etc. I look forward to coming back here if/when your prediction comes true.
From Peter Drier’s essay The Press Keeps Getting It Wrong: The Democrats Are NOT Divided - TPM – Talking Points Memo
The Biden plan would also offer free public pre-kindergarten and two years of free community college and provides 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, which would guarantee that all Americans have the time to care for themselves and their families and loved ones.
My quick take: if I were Pelosi, I’d just lower the total price tag and keep everything else except the two years of free community college, and make a deal with Gottheimer and the House Mods to increase the amount of Pell Grants for community college/four year college students for either x-number of years or permanently that can be tacked on to the appropriations budget for the Education Department.
UPDATE 10/21/2021: And at the risk of bragging – Democrats abandon free community college as White House warns social safety net bill will shrink below $2T
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden told progressive lawmakers Tuesday that the final social spending bill is expected to drop tuition-free community college and curtail the child tax credit program, two sources familiar with the meeting said.
And here: Biden abruptly accelerates his involvement in agenda talks
In private meetings with members of Congress this week, Biden outlined particular trade-offs, explaining for example that he wants universal prekindergarten care rather than free community college tuition, citing research that shows money spent on younger children has more impact.
Nasty Nancy FTW!
Thanks for the confirmation, @vlharpley. (Thank goodness everyone’s keeping that secret secure!!?! 
)
Kind of funny nobody asking Bernie what his bottom line is. I wonder what that is?
Re: “you can’t always get what you want”
Wasn’t that the semi-official song of the former guy’s campaign? Almost like he was sticking it in the eye to the Republican Party and base?