Biden to rally Senate Democrats after reaching $ 3.5 trillion budget deal

President Joe Biden is due to meet with the Senate Democratic caucus on Wednesday to build support for his broad infrastructure and economic investment goals, hours after lawmakers announced they had reached agreement on a budget resolution of several billion dollars.

The budget deal, which would spend $ 3.5 trillion over the next decade, will be in addition to some $ 600 billion in new spending contained in a bipartisan infrastructure plan, Democrats said Tuesday night.

They said the budget plan was fully paid for and would expand Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing benefits – two features that could help moderate and progressive Democrats support it.

At a closed-door caucus lunch on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Biden will rally Democrats and “lead us to this wonderful plan,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y, said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Wednesday morning that the president “will continue to advocate for the dual track approach to better rebuild the economy by investing in infrastructure, protecting our climate and supporting the next generation of workers and families “.

She noted in a follow-up that she misspelled the word “double”.

Democratic leaders hope to get versions of the resolution through the House and Senate before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess. But they acknowledged on Tuesday night that their job was done for them because the budget plan offered only a general overview of spending that would need to be fleshed out in subsequent legislation.

“We know we have a long way to go,” Schumer said.

“I have no illusions how difficult this is going to be,” said Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., Vice chair of the caucus.

The resolution, if approved, would pave the way for Democrats to pass a subsequent Senate spending bill through the so-called budget reconciliation process. This means Democrats would only need a simple majority in the Senate – which is also split 50-50 with Republicans – rather than the 60 votes the GOP might demand through obstruction rules.

If the Senate’s 50 Democrats support such a bill, they could pass it even without Republican backing, as Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris could vote to break the tie.

Democratic Senate leaders are working to please both caucus moderates, who have expressed unease over funding massive spending plans, and progressives who have called for much more money to be spent.

Senator Bernie Sanders, who Schumer blamed for including expanded Medicare coverage in the budget resolution, and other progressives originally called for a $ 6 trillion price limit for a budget. Biden had offered less than $ 5,000 billion.

Moderate Senator Joe Manchin, DW.V., expressed a radically different sentiment on Tuesday, telling reporters: “I think everything should be paid for. We have put in enough free money.”

In a statement Wednesday morning, Manchin said he was eager to review the deal worked out by the Senate Budget Committee.

“I am also very interested in how this proposal is paid and how it allows us to remain competitive on a global scale,” he said. “I will reserve any final judgment until I have had the opportunity to thoroughly assess the proposal.”

The budget would be in line with Biden’s promise not to raise taxes for people earning less than $ 400,000 a year.

Sanders said Tuesday night that the legislation shows that “the rich and big business are going to start paying their fair share of taxes, so we can protect working families in this country.”