Senate Democrats reach $ 3.5 million in spending

Senate Democrats have agreed to move forward with $ 3.5 million in government spending without Republican support in an attempt to enact Joe Biden’s economic agenda ahead of next year’s by-elections .

The intraparty deal was sealed Wednesday night after negotiations involving both the most progressive lawmakers, including Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and moderate Democrats like Mark Warner of Virginia. White House officials, including Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, also participated in the talks.

The deal could pave the way for Biden to garner congressional support for many of his multimillion-dollar spending agenda who have faced Republican resistance, such as new investments in child care and education, measures to combat climate change, and an expansion of some government health benefits for the elderly.

However, the $ 3.5 million agreement was only the first step in the Congressional process known as budget reconciliation, which allows some fiscal measures to pass the 100-member upper house of Congress with 51 votes, instead of the area greater than 60 votes required for ordinary legislation.

The Senate is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaker vote when necessary.

Last month, Biden reached an agreement with a group of moderate Democratic and Republican senators to fund $ 1.2 million in physical infrastructure investments. But the deal it represented only a part of the economic plans of the President of the United States, which the opposition has been willing to understand.

The bipartisan agreement is becoming a legislative text and is moving in a different direction, while the rest of Biden’s plans are considered. only by Democrats.

But if the infrastructure deal is backed by some Republicans they should be undone or if he does not advance in Congress, his provisions could be added to legislation that Democrats are considering pursuing alone.

The agreement reached between Democrats on Wednesday only set a front-line spending figure. Many of the details, including how the $ 3.5 million could be paid in expenses with tax increases, will have to be removed and voted on at a later stage.

This process could jeopardize the deal or reduce its final price and will require extremely delicate negotiations between the different factions of the Democratic party.

But lawmakers involved in the talks have shown their willingness to commit to achieving legislative progress: Sanders, who chairs the Senate budget committee, expected a new $ 6 million spending, but settled for a lower figure. at this level.