Biden to announce framework for a slimmed down $1.85 trillion social spending bill

President Biden announces framework for a $ 1.85 Trillion social spending bill.

«I need your votes,» Biden told Democratic lawmakers.

The spending package has lost some key items.

President Joe Biden will go to Congress in the next few hours to push his spending bill and a bipartisan infrastructure plan to Democratic lawmakers after lengthy negotiations on his ambitious climate and social policies and how to finance them. The White House believes it can move from 50-50 in the Senate, reported The Associated Press.

Biden is eager to reach an agreement before leaving for the global summits. But the package has lost some of the Democrats’ top priorities as the president’s ambitions collided with the political realities of narrowly divided Congress.

Paid family leave would be out of the bill

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«I need your votes,» Biden told lawmakers, according to a person who requested anonymity to discuss the private comments. Paid family leave and efforts to cut prescription drug prices are now completely gone from the package according to senior administration officials who requested anonymity to brief reporters on the emerging details.

Biden will make statements from the White House in a possible sign that a deal is close after the elimination of proposals for paid family leave and a proposal to tax billionaires are hoped to win over the crucial votes in the 50-50 split Senate.

Democrats have hesitated to approve Biden’s ambitious plan

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Disputes among Democrats over the massive domestic policy bill have stalled approval of a $1 trillion package for roads, broadband and other infrastructure projects that the Senate approved with votes from both parties.

Democratic lawmakers on the progressive side want to read the fine print of the big domestic policy bill before casting their votes on the infrastructure bill. The $3.5 trillion measure has been reduced to $1.75 trillion in the course of negotiations.

What is still in the bill?

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Free pre-kindergarten for all children, expanded health care programs, including the launch of a new $35 billion hearing aid benefit for people with Medicare, and $555 billion to address climate change are still being stipulated.

There is also a one-year extension of a child care tax credit that was implemented during the Covid-19 rescue plan and the new child care subsidies. An additional $100 billion to bolster the processing system for immigration and border functions could boost the overall package to $1.85 trillion if it passes the Senate.

Immigration and childcare plans in Biden’s proposal

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Expanded health care programs, free preschool and some $500 billion to tackle climate change remain in the bill. Democrats are studying a new surtax on the rich — 5% on incomes over $10 million and another 3% on those over $25 million to help finance it, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are behind closed doors.

The billionaire tax proposal was intended to win the vote of another fractious Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, but Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said it was an unfair attack on the rich. «People in the stratosphere, instead of trying to sanction, we should be pleased that this country is capable of producing such wealth,» Manchin told reporters.

Why is this week crucial for Biden’s immigration reform?

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Why is this week crucial for Biden’s immigration reform? Democrats continue to work to include a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented people in the social spending plan and in a few days it will be seen if they finally achieve it or will have to devise a new strategy to advance on this matter.

Activist groups in favor of a comprehensive immigration reform continue to pressure the Democrats, even inviting them to ignore the decision of the Senate parliamentarian to integrate the immigration initiative into the plan they plan to approve THIS WEEK.

Close to reaching an agreement?

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On Sunday, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, assured that the Democratic caucus is close to reaching an agreement on the social spending plan. According to Angélica Salas, director of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants (CHIRLA), this version would include funds for a program that offers permanent residence to millions of undocumented immigrants.

Initially, Democrats had asked for funding for immigration reform in Biden’s social spending plan, but their proposal has twice been rejected by MP Elizabeth MacDonough. This would be the third attempt and, according to Pelosi, a productive one in light of the imminent agreement between the two houses of Congress.

What would be the next hurdle?

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Approval in the Lower House is not everything. In an interview with the EFE agency, Salas pointed out: “Our biggest obstacle is the Upper House. The hopes of having a permanent residence for millions could end this week if the Democrats in that chamber don’t really do something to support us.»

Of course, first, the Democrats must convince MacDonough, whose job it is to interpret the parliamentary rules and it is she who will decide if this immigration proposal can be integrated into the reconciliation process that they hope to use to approve their plan with a simple majority and without the need for Republican support. They have already missed twice, will they hit the third time? Filed Under: Biden Social Project.

The reconciliation process

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The Democrats’ new plan that has been brewing in Congress would protect immigrants from deportation and give them work permits. They intend to protect them from deportation is through a ‘parole’ or ‘pardon’ process. Under this modality, the undocumented person would be granted an Employment Authorization for five years, renewable for another five years.

But for the bill to succeed, it first has to be approved by MP MacDonough. Later, they would use the reconciliation process, a legislative route to approve bills with a simple majority. Democrats would only need to hold their caucus together to vote for it. With their 50 votes plus the additional vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, they could open a new pathway for the undocumented. Filed Under: Biden Social Project.

Ignore the parliamentarian?

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The reality is that the efforts of the Democrats so far have not paid off, so some activists have even reached out to Vice President Harris in Washington to suggest that she ignore the decision of the parliamentarian. With a 24-hour vigil in front of her residence, the Asian immigrant organization NAKASEC wanted to remind her that time is money.

In Los Angeles, another 11-day vigil is held for the 11 million illegal immigrants so that Harris does not forget the promises to the immigrant community she made during her campaign. It turns out that Kamala Harris, as President of the Senate, could decide, in a really daring move, to ignore MacDonough’s decisions. Filed Under: Biden Social Project.

Activist for immigration reform

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Juana Castillo, a Salvadoran immigrant under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), told EFE: “It is time that they give us permanent residence. After so many years of work, it is fair because we earned it with our effort.» She is not the only one waiting for a path to permanent residence.

“We are thousands and thousands of mixed families that are affected by the lack of immigration reform. I am a voting citizen and I believe that I deserve to have my voice heard. It is time that the parliamentarian is not listened to and millions have permanent residency,” insisted US citizen Mirtha García. Filed Under: Biden Social Project.