[ad_1]
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has said his infrastructure and families agenda must be passed to maintain the economic momentum of his first six months in office, with the aim of setting the tone for a crucial week of negotiations in the Congress on the two bills.
But a Wednesday deadline set by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the bipartisan infrastructure bill was uncertain as Republicans have signaled they will block a procedural vote, for now, while details are still being worked out. Senators are arguing over how to pay for new spending in the $ 1 trillion package of highways, water systems and other public works projects.
At the same time, Democrats are working out the details of a separate bill that would invest $ 3.5 trillion nationwide in the lives of Americans – with support for families, education, climate resilience, and other priorities they aim to ultimately convey with Democratic support alone. Democrats hope to show progress on this bill before lawmakers leave Washington for their vacation in August.
The legislative maneuvers mark a major test of Biden’s ability to deliver on a huge package of economic promises and reforms he made during his campaign. He put public pressure on lawmakers with a series of speeches highlighting strengthening the economy while stressing the need to invest more to continue this growth and strengthen the middle class. Key Biden aides met with senators on Monday evening.
“What the best companies do – and what we should be doing as a country – is making smart, sustainable investments with the right funding,” the president said Monday at the White House.
Calling his plans a “blueprint for rebuilding an American economy,” Biden said, “this is the best strategy for creating millions of jobs and raising middle-class families, raising wages and sustaining wages. affordable in the long run ”.
The economy has come back to life as more Americans get vaccinated and Biden’s previous $ 1.9 trillion relief program traveled the country. Employers have created an average of nearly 543,000 jobs per month since January, with Federal Reserve officials anticipating overall economic growth of around 7% this year, which would be the highest since 1984. Yet there is also uncertainty as employers say they are struggling to find workers at current pay levels and inflation concerns have not yet fully abated.
Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has denounced the “spending spree” as “the last thing American families need.”
McConnell and outside groups, including the conservative Americans for Prosperity, have urged Republicans to vote against continuing the bipartisan package until they have more details. “I think we need to see the bill before we decide whether or not to vote for him,” McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill.
The president is calling for more than $ 4 trillion in combined spending in hopes of prolonging strong economic gains. Biden’s $ 3.5 trillion package focused on climate, schools and families will need the support of the Senate’s 50 Democrats to wipe out a party line vote.
The key to Biden’s message is that growth is happening as expected and is helping America’s middle class. Still, much of it is expected to fade as the economy fully recovers from the pandemic.
But the $ 973 billion infrastructure deal Biden struck with a group of Republican and Democratic senators doesn’t have a clear plan of how to pay for it, as GOP lawmakers have moved away from IRS enforcement of tax compliance.
Instead, bipartisan group senators plan to reverse a Trump-era rule on drug discounts this could bring in some $ 170 billion to be used for infrastructure. No decision has yet been made as senators met Monday evening with administration officials on next steps.
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a chief Republican negotiator, said they had resolved half of the two dozen unresolved issues after a marathon of talks Sunday night with the White House.
“It is absurd to move forward with a vote on something that is not yet formulated,” he said.
Over the weekend, Republicans angered at the prospect of a vote on Wednesday, noting that key questions about how to pay the expenses still remain unanswered. Package needs 60 votes to defeat a GOP filibuster, a delaying tactic, and pass the Senate – meaning at least 10 Republicans must join the 50 Democrats to back him. While Republicans still voice concerns about the package, the success of Wednesday’s procedural vote remains uncertain.
“It’s time to start the debate,” Schumer said on Monday, setting up the votes.
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, a key Democratic negotiator, said if Republicans blocked the vote with an obstruction, “that’s a problem. Hopefully people will be smarter than that.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday dismissed questions about the bill’s future and what the administration would do if Wednesday’s vote were unsuccessful.
“Two days is a lifetime in Washington, so I don’t think we’re going to make predictions about the death of the infrastructure package,” she told reporters.
Biden also used his remarks on Monday to fend off Republican criticism of his plans which argue that massive federal investments in the economy will accelerate inflation.
Consumer prices climbed 5.4% over the year which ended in June, the largest annual increase since August 2008. Higher inflation can erode workers’ wages and ultimately hurt economic growth.
Biden said on Monday that his proposed investments would help rebuild U.S. supply chains and ease pressures on U.S. production that some economists say have contributed to inflation.
“If we make prudent, multi-year investments in better roads, bridges, transit systems and high-speed internet, a modern and resilient electricity grid, this is what will happen: it will remove bottlenecks in our economy.” , did he declare.
“These measures will improve our productivity, by increasing wages without raising prices. It won’t increase inflation, it will take the pressure off inflation, ”Biden added.
___
Associated Press editors Alan Fram, Lisa Mascaro, and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link