“I’m actually more concerned about what I’m hearing from Speaker Pelosi on the linkage of this bill to reconciliation. We’ve got to get that sorted out,” Tillis said.
Democrats, who met privately with White House officials Monday night, remain divided over the size of the budget resolution, which would essentially serve as a blueprint for much of Biden’s domestic agenda.
Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders is still fighting for a $6 trillion package, with only $3 trillion of that paid for through tax increases and allowing Medicare to directly negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Sanders wants to add an expansion of Medicare, immigration reform, expanded child tax credits and other social spending to Biden’s proposal.
Manchin’s Bar
But that is a problem for the most conservative Democrat in the caucus, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, whose vote will be pivotal. Unity is key for the party in the evenly divided Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris casts tie-breaking votes to pass legislation without Republican support.
Manchin told reporters Tuesday that both the infrastructure bill and the second measure “should be fully paid for.”
“We have put enough free money out,” he said.
Manchin has also said he would not back the full corporate tax increase Biden has proposed, to 28%, favoring instead a 25% rate.
Budget Committee Democrats have said they hope their Tuesday night meeting can clear away some of the differences and allow for a Senate floor vote as soon as next Tuesday.
Democrats are planning to skip formal committee votes and bring the budget resolution, which will outline ceilings for spending and floors for revenue in the follow-on tax and spending package, directly to the floor. Votes this month on the budget will set up further action on that second package in September, or later.
A Democrat attending both sets of Tuesday meetings said to take the turbulence with regard to both tracks in stride.