Democrats brace for new spending fights over Biden agenda – By Naomi Jagoda (The Hill) / Aug 27 2021
Democrats are bracing for intraparty fights over crafting a multi-trillion dollar package to advance President Biden’s agenda.
The House this week adopted a $3.5 trillion budget plan that paves the way for lawmakers to pass the forthcoming legislation without any Republican votes. But the approval of the budget measure came after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was pressured into striking a deal with a group of moderate Democrats who were threatening to derail the party’s spending plans.
Democrats are now expecting further challenges in getting consensus in their caucus as they draft and attempt to advance the spending bill. Congressional Democratic leaders and top committee members will need to balance the priorities of moderates and progressives, as well as House members and senators, since nearly every Democrat will need to vote for the bill in order for it to pass.
“A margin this close, any four people who feel strongly enough right now can upset the cart,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters Tuesday. “It is a question of the fact that nobody really gets it all their way.”
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