Top Democrats won’t waste any time advancing a massive social welfare spending package when they reconvene this month.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told fellow Democrats in a visual conference call on Friday that she hopes to begin consideration of a $3.5 trillion social welfare spending package as soon as Sept. 20, the day lawmakers return from their summer recess.
The California Democrat outlined the ambitious schedule as the House Ways and Means Committee worked to advance part of the measure over the objections of at least one party centrist who argued the process is moving too quickly for careful consideration.
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Democrats are also working to overcome internal differences over the cost of the bill as well as how to pay for it.
But Pelosi urged the lawmakers to see the advantages of quickly passing the legislation, a source with knowledge of her comments during the virtual meeting said.
“In a couple of weeks, we will have made a transformative difference,” Pelosi told lawmakers.
Senate Democrats are on track to finish writing legislation by Sept. 15, Pelosi told Democrats, which leaves the two chambers in a position to complete the package quickly.
The Senate has already passed a $1.2 trillion hard infrastructure package that Democrats consider part of the overall deal, and Pelosi has promised centrists she will aim to bring up the Senate-passed measure for a vote by Sept. 27.
The bill funds roads, bridges, water projects, expanded broadband, and some green energy initiatives, including $7.5 billion to build electric vehicle charging stations.
Pelosi is sticking to her pledge to first pass the social welfare spending package before taking up the infrastructure measure, meeting a demand made by her majority liberal caucus.
The bill would find a broad array of social welfare programs long sought by liberals including free universal preschool, paid family leave, free community college, money for the care of the elderly and disabled, expanded Medicare, and an extension of the child tax credit.
During the virtual conference call on Friday, Pelosi touted the party’s rare opportunity to pass such a massive list of new benefits.
It would be the first time, Pelosi said, that women, children, and people with disabilities “have so much leverage in this debate.”
To pass the measure, Democrats will have to iron out differences within their party.
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia warned his Democratic leaders he is not willing to spend $3.5 trillion, with at least one media outlet reporting Manchin’s top-line figure is $1.5 trillion. Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema said she, too, would seek a lower price tag.
But Pelosi suggested this week Manchin could be satisfied with the measure if half or more is offset with other revenue.
Democrats want to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy to pay for the measure.
It’s not about the cost, Pelosi said.
“We will pay for more than half,” Pelosi said. “Maybe all of it. We will be taking responsibility for what is in there.”
But even House Democrats are questioning the cost of the plan, the tax increases that will be required to pay for some of it, and the speedy timeline Pelosi is eyeing to move it across the finish line.
In a committee markup of the bill in the House Ways and Means Committee, Florida Democrat Stephanie Murphy told lawmakers, “I don’t think we can afford to do everything,” and urged Democratic leaders to allow enough time to see all of the components of the bill.
“We were given an artificial deadline in which to craft and mark up this bill, and I believe it was too rushed, driven by politics rather than policy,” Murphy, who is threatening to vote against it, said.
Pelosi told Democrats on Friday that House and Senate lawmakers are negotiating to ensure the two chambers align their versions of the spending package ahead of time, which will appeal to House centrists wary of passing something that can’t win approval in the Senate.
The package will have to pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian in order to qualify for a budgetary tactic that will allow Democrats to pass the bill with 51 votes.
Democrats hope to tack on a major amnesty provision that would provide a pathway to citizenship for up to 8 million undocumented workers.
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Senate Democrats this week presented their amnesty package to Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, arguing it should be allowed in the spending bill because it would cost billions in federal revenue to implement.
The provision would provide green cards to agriculture and other workers who are in the United States illegally.
