WASHINGTON – House Democratic leaders indicated Wednesday that discussions on social safety net legislation are moving forward to meet President Joe Biden’s build back agenda Interlocutors identify objects They plan to take a cut from the package.
House Democratic Caucus Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, D.N.Y, told reporters after a closed-door meeting that “significant progress has been made” in recent days on what should remain in the law and what should be reduced or removed entirely. should go.
“We’re all feeling very positive about coming together which is clearly happening as we land these planes,” Jeffries said at a news conference.
Representative Katherine Clark, D-Mass., who serves as the supporting speaker, said Democrats are “making progress.” after the meetings Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at the White House on Tuesday.
Clarke argued that the legislative package “Cutting costs” for families paying for childcare by providing free universal preschool for three- and four-year-olds, creating a national paid family leave program, expanding Medicaid, and expanding the Child Tax Credit Will do
When asked whether extending the tax credit to just one year and only four weeks of paid family leave is enough, Clark stressed that the child tax credit is a priority for Democratic lawmakers and the president.
She said Biden was “firm” in his commitment to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2030, saying that would be “a huge investment in the climate”, but without providing details. A key component of Biden’s clean energy agenda expected to be removed from the final bill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was asked in a separate press conference Wednesday about rolling back the paid leave program and free community college into the bill, emphasizing that those details were “news to me.” Giving that no final decision has been made.
Two sources familiar with Biden’s meeting with progressive lawmakers on Tuesday said tuition-free community colleges will be out of law And they’ll reduce the child tax credit to just an extension of one year.
Biden told progressives on Tuesday night that he was eyeing a price range of $1.75 trillion to $1.9 trillion for a final package, three sources familiar with the meeting said. However, sources cautioned that no final deal has been struck yet.
The President on Tuesday told Sens. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, met separately from D-Ariz, who have voiced opposition to some provisions in the $3.5 trillion package as well as its price tag.
While Pelosi set an October 31 deadline to vote on an infrastructure bill passed by the Senate earlier this month, whose fate is tied to the social spending measure, Jeffries said Wednesday that neither the White House And neither are House Democrats working on one. Specific timeline for negotiations.