House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reportedly offered the radical House Democrats a price tag of $2.1 trillion for the reconciliation package, down from $3.5 trillion but more expensive than Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) topline of $1.5 trillion.
The offered package to the House Democrats includes items such as child care, paid leave, health care, and climate change, according to Politico Playbook.
The offer presents which measures may survive the trimmed but still large package and which measures may be removed. “For instance, there was no mention of things like free community college or affordable housing or even Bernie Sanders’ prized expansion of Medicare to offer dental, vision and hearing benefits,” Playbook reports.
The reported compromise is still far outside Manchin’s $1.5 trillion topline number that he divulged Thursday on a signed piece of paper. The signed document in July is an agreement between Manchin and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), which outlined that the reconciliation package would be $1.5 trillion with debate on the package beginning no later than October 1.
“Senator Manchin does not guarantee that he will vote for the final reconciliation legislation if it exceeds the conditions outlined in this agreement,” the signed agreement reads.
“I’m still on $1.5 [trillion] guys, I’ve been on 1.5 and I’m going to make sure that people understand there’s an awful lot of good,” Manchin said. “We can help a lot of people, children on the front end seniors on the back end, a lot of good things.”
But the far-left House Democrats on Thursday were not enthused by the revelation of the secret document.
“Look, this is why we’re not voting for the bipartisan [infrastructure] bill until we get agreement on the reconciliation bill and it’s clear we get agreement on the reconciliation bill and we’ve got a ways to go,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said. “After that statement we probably have even more people willing to vote no on the bipartisan bill.”
Rep. (D-MN) told reporters Thursday she was not willing to negotiate with Manchin in bad faith to pass President Biden’s far-left agenda.
“Inaction is insanity. Not willing to negotiate in good faith is insanity,” Omar said. “Not fighting to have the critical investments that are needed is insanity. Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity.”
“Not trying to make sure the president we all worked so hard to elect’s agenda pass[es] is insanity. Losing us the majority in the House and the Senate is insanity,” Omar added.
With the reconciliation package still being debated among lawmakers, it is unknown if the $1.2 trillion “bipartisan” infrastructure bill will pass the House Friday. The far-left wants assurances the reconciliation package will contain enough far-left provision before they agree to give up their leverage and pass the “bipartisan” bill.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø.