By Michael Ge
President Joe Biden’s domestic policy is facing a serious gridlock. His ambitious $3.5 trillion budget proposal has stalled in the Senate while his infrastructure package has languished in the House. Both the budget proposal and the infrastructure package are key to his plan to “build back better.” If these plans fail to pass, then his entire presidency may accomplish little.
President Biden’s infrastructure plan was reached via bipartisan negotiations between moderate senators on both sides of the aisle. The bill would be a $550 billion investment in America’s infrastructure. The $550 billion will be used towards paving roads, fixing bridges, and upgrading public transportation among other projects. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill 69-30, but the House has been reluctant to pass it. Progressive Democrats in the House demanded that President Biden’s $3.5 trillion be passed in the Senate via budget reconciliation first. As a result, the infrastructure bill has languished in the House for weeks without a vote.
Meanwhile, President Biden’s $3.5 trillion budget plan has to overcome tall hurdles in the Senate. The budget plan includes increasing Medicare benefits, policies to combat climate change, and funding for families. The budget is to be paid for by raising taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals. The budget must satisfy the demands of Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, two moderate senators. It is likely, if not inevitable, that the final budget plan will be cut down in size. Manchin’s demands have also led to the removal of various climate policies of the plan. But Democrats are determined to reach an agreement and negotiations are picking up steam. The outlook for both the infrastructure and budget bills is looking more hopeful than they were just a few weeks ago.
If Democrats are able to reach an agreement, then President Biden and his fellow Democrats will be able to take a victory lap and have an achievement to campaign on. If not, then they will face many questions about how united they are as well as what the path forward would be. The clock is ticking; 2022 is just around the corner.
