Manchin and Schumer shocked many of their colleagues Wednesday by announcing a deal that would include $369 billion in energy and climate change spending, reduce the deficit by $300 billion, allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of some prescription drugs, provide three years of Affordable Care Act subsidies, and make changes to the tax code. Otherwise almost everything has gone to online.” “This morning about 45 of us met in a room designed to hold hundreds. “Of course we are” worried about Covid-related absences, said Sen. Underscoring how difficult that will be to pull off, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) tested positive for Covid Thursday the caucus hasn’t had all 50 members voting since the start of the month.
Silent start full#
On top of the parliamentarian’s scrubbing, Democrats will need full attendance from their 50-member caucus in order to pass the bill. “I just felt there was an opportunity here to really give us an energy policy with security that we need for our nation but also driving down the high price of gasoline,” the West Virginia centrist told reporters of the proposal he pushed to rename the “Inflation Reduction Act” - a pointed messaging turn as signs of a recession began appearing Thursday. The high-stakes rules drama began playing out Thursday when Manchin took a victory lap of sorts after unveiling his deal with Schumer. News of the deal between Schumer and Manchin sent aides scrambling, trying to figure out which pieces of the emerging package have yet to receive much procedural scrutiny behind closed doors. Senate staffers in both parties are still in the thick of privately working with the chamber’s rules arbiter, otherwise known as the parliamentarian, to vet the bill’s drug pricing provisions against the budget rules. Republicans suspect such moves may run afoul of Senate budget rules.
Schumer also suggested Thursday that Democrats will try to add more provisions to the party-line legislation during floor consideration, such as a proposal to reduce the cost of insulin. In a sign that Republicans will put up a tough fight against the package, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Democrats have produced “an absolute monstrosity, and we’re going to be really aggressively in opposition.” There’s also the unlimited so-called vote-a-rama spree, where any senator, including Sinema, can seek to change the bill by offering amendments. But that slog could eat up pivotal time over the next week - and result in the nonpartisan Senate rules referee knocking out portions of the proposal.Īnd all that could play out in real time, with Democrats forced to litigate parts of their marquee party-line bill against Republican challenges as it’s being considered on the floor. Democrats are already diving into a behind-the-scenes scrub to ensure the bill complies with the special budget rules that allow them to evade a filibuster. In addition to the whip count, passing the package by next week without a single GOP vote won’t be easy. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said “her state is going to need her on this” and she “politically doesn’t have a choice.” But I’m optimistic we will get there.”Īnd some don’t think Sinema has any other option but to support the deal in the end. “Getting through the process from here to completion is going to be an interesting run. “There’s a few rocks in the river in front of us because every senator, myself included, has something that I wanted in this package that’s not in it,” observed Sen. In March, she said that a potential deal with Manchin “already has enough tax reform options to pay for it.” Manchin, meanwhile, told reporters he had not spoken to her but said he hoped “she would be receptive.” He added that he’ s “adamant” on closing the carried interest loophole.ĭuring talks last year on Democrats’ party-line vision, Sinema reached a deal with the White House on a menu of revenue options to finance it. I’m not going to talk about Sinema, period.” And Schumer repeatedly declined to comment on her potential vote. During the meeting, Schumer touted the agreement and urged his caucus to pull out all the stops in order to get the bill passed before leaving D.C. Democrats convened for a private caucus meeting Thursday morning to discuss the stunning Wednesday deal.
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