During an interview aired on Friday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) stated that “A lot of the work” from the Build Back Better bill is in the reconciliation bill and that once the reconciliation bill is passed, “we will be able to go out and talk to the American people about what we’re doing to address their concerns. And hopefully, we’ll get a couple more Democrats in the Senate, and we’ll be able to pass the rest of it within the next six to eight months.”
Jayapal stated, “I think everybody understands that this is, first of all, the art of the possible. We need to get 50 votes in the Senate. I think also, we feel a lot of pride in the fact that we got the Build Back Better bill drafted and passed in the House. A lot of the work that we did is contained in this bill. Once we get this through, we will be able to go out and talk to the American people about what we’re doing to address their concerns. And hopefully, we’ll get a couple more Democrats in the Senate, and we’ll be able to pass the rest of it within the next six to eight months. I think we’ve got the country with us. We just need the numbers in the Senate.”
Later, host A Martinez said, “If this thing passes, it could change the narrative for Democrats as they try to hold onto these majorities in the House and the Senate. So, there is that part of this deal that could be at stake here.”
Jayapal responded, “Absolutely, which is why we are going to pass it, because we’re going to show people what we can do, and then we’re going to go out into our districts, and we’re going to talk to people about the fact that their drug prices came down because Democrats made it happen. Their energy costs, their gas prices came down because Democrats made it happen.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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