Resurrected budget package no slam dunk as negotiations heat up – By Paul M. Krawzak (Roll Call) / June 6, 2022
The bill formerly known as ‘Build Back Better’ has a new lease on life, but Democrats have little time and big decisions to make
Democrats face big obstacles and a deadline measured in weeks as they attempt to salvage a scaled-down tax, climate and health care package that could give them a boost ahead of the November elections.
Conversations are underway between Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer to negotiate a budget reconciliation bill, which would require only a simple majority for passage, that would meet Manchin’s demands without losing support from other Democrats.
But even if legislation is written to accommodate Manchin, Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema remains a crucial question mark. The reconciliation bill would need the support of the entire Democratic caucus in the evenly divided Senate to pass with a tie-breaking assist from Vice President Kamala Harris.
Sinema and Manchin were holdouts to earlier versions of the reconciliation measure. She came to generally support the Senate framework, but only after her objections trimmed the bill from $3.5 trillion to $2 trillion and tax rate increases were replaced with other revenue raisers.
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