Democrats hit pause on Biden's climate, social spending package

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Senate Democrats are putting President Biden’s climate and social spending plan on the back burner as they plan to debate voting rights legislation this month and hold a vote on changing the Senate's filibuster rule.

Democratic aides say the Build Back Better bill won't be ready for floor action any time soon and predict the wide-ranging legislation that the White House has negotiated with centrist Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) may have to be completely overhauled.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) informed colleagues Monday the Senate will turn immediately to voting rights legislation and would vote to reform the chamber’s filibuster rule by Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on Jan. 17, if Senate Republicans block it.

“We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections,” Schumer wrote in his “Dear Colleague” letter.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/588084-democrats-hit-pause-on-bidens-climate-social-spending-package

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Schumer made no mention of Build Back Better or when it might come to the floor, despite promising at the end of last year to schedule a vote on it before Christmas.

Democratic aides warn that means Build Back Better probably won’t be ready to come to the floor until March or later. And whatever version of the bill comes up for a vote will be markedly different from the $1.75 trillion framework that Manchin resoundingly rejected during a “Fox News Sunday” interview on Dec. 19, aides say.

[JohnSJ]

1. We should be able to chew gum and walk at the same time. Both BBB and voting rights MUST be done

[NurseJackie]

8. I do not believe that anyone is giving up on BBB.

[JohnSJ]

21. Of course not, but the way the OP presented it made it seem that way

[NurseJackie]

22. The OP is crap.

Everyone wants to portray the Democrats as disorganized failures... and our leadership is smart enough to know that dividing our attentions at this critical juncture would not produce the best results. I trust our party's leadership.

[JohnSJ]

23. +++

[Miguelito Loveless]

2. While I agree that the Voter protection bill

is paramount, I think many will live to regret the gutting of BBB.

[BradAllison]

3. Of course we will

These half assed proposals that appease "moderates" are just kicking the can into the next Republican takeover and economic collapse.

We will have to have a depression for these assholes to get the point.

[ColinC]

4. Honestly it was a tall order expecting Manchin to back it.

We need to gain at least 2 Senate seats and keep the house this year if we see any hope of getting BBB passed. Voter protection should be priority right now.

[Miguelito Loveless]

5. "No" votes should be recorded

Votes have to have consequences. At some point you bring the bill to the floor and they have to go on record opposing the bill and suffer the consequences. The way it is now, no vote is held, and they get to vote "no" without the consequence of voting "no". With that system there is no downside for them.

[ColinC]

6. Have to weight he costs and benefits of how that makes the party look for the midterms.

A major loss like that for the party could blow it for us.

[Miguelito Loveless]

14. But failing to vote give

Manchin and Sinema the power to kill the bill without consequence.

[ColinC]

16. We can do what Manchin described with the last stimulus bill

"shove it down his throat."

[George II]

7. There is a site that keeps track of no votes in both the Senate and the House. Some are surprising..

Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/

[NurseJackie]

10. Yes, it seems reasonable to assume that the info would be surprising...

... but to anyone who's paying attention (and living in the real world) it's not surprising at all.

[Miguelito Loveless]

13. Sadly, mine is an R

But I am referring to forcing an actual vote in the senate on BBB. So far, there has been no vote because Manchin and Sinema keep waffling on the decision. If no actual vote is taken, then they get to kill the bill without consequence. Placing the up for a vote means they have to decide if the consequences are worth the "no" vote.

[ColinC]

15. So since Manchin has a high vote rate with Biden, do you think the Senate should hold a vote on BBB?

Perhaps he will end up voting for the bill in its' current form. He was verbally reluctant with the last covid stimulus package, but ended up going along with it anyways. Might be worth the shot.

[PSPS]

9. Face it. BBB and everything else is dead until mid-terms and those are lost without the voting bill.

Essentially, Democrats have only 48 senate seats now and, without undoing gerrymandering and voter suppression, the GOP will wrest control of both the senate and house in November, which means at least two more years of no federal government.

[ColinC]

17. Agreed. And the reality is that Manchin and Sinema are probably at least more likely

to vote for a fillibuster exemption to voting rights than they are for BBB at this point.

[Fiendish Thingy]

18. BBB is dead, and has been dead since the BIF was passed separately. Nt

[choie]

19. It's amazing that these well paid representatives

of we the people aren't able to work on two pieces of legislation at the same time. Maybe they should work on Fridays and stop with the long breaks.

[left-of-center2012]

20. Rightly or wrongly, my memory tells me ...

LBJ used to twist arms and break legs to get legislation passed, figuratively speaking.

I would like to see more of that today to get Joe Biden's programs passed.

[manicdem]

24. Not going to happen

I'm betting neither of those will come up for a vote.