WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion framework for bolstering family services, health, and environment programs through the Senate early Wednesday, advancing President Joe Biden’s expansive vision for reshaping federal priorities just hours after handing him a companion triumph on a hefty infrastructure package.
Lawmakers approved Democrats’ budget resolution on a party-line 50-49 vote, a crucial step for a president and party set on training the government’s fiscal might on assisting families, creating jobs and fighting climate change. Higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations would pay for much of it. Passage came despite an avalanche of Republican amendments intended to make their rivals pay a price in next year’s elections for control of Congress.
House leaders announced their chamber will return from summer recess in two weeks to vote on the fiscal blueprint, which contemplates disbursing the $3.5 trillion over the next decade. Final congressional approval, which seems certain, would protect a subsequent bill actually enacting the outline’s detailed spending and tax changes from a Republican filibuster in the 50-50 Senate, delays that would otherwise kill it.
Even so, passing that follow-up legislation will be dicey with party moderates wary of the massive $3.5 trillion price tag vying with progressives demanding aggressive action. The party controls the House with just three votes to spare, while the evenly divided Senate is theirs only due to Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking vote. Solid GOP opposition seems guaranteed.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., once a progressive voice in Congress’ wilderness and now a national figure wielding legislative clout, said the measure would help children, families, the elderly and working people — and more.
“It will also, I hope, restore the faith of the American people in the belief that we can have a government that works for all of us, and not just the few,” he said.
Republicans argued that Democrats’ proposals would waste money, raise economy-wounding taxes, fuel inflation and codify far-left dictates that would harm Americans. They were happy to use Sanders, a self-avowed democratic socialist, to try tarring all Democrats backing the measure.
If Biden and Senate Democrats want to “outsource domestic policy to Chairman Sanders” with a “historically reckless taxing and spending spree,” Republicans lack the votes to stop them, conceded Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “But we will debate. We will vote.”
The Senate turned to the budget hours after it approved the other big chunk of Biden’s objectives, a compromise $1 trillion bundle of transportation, water, broadband and other infrastructure projects. That measure, passed 69-30 with McConnell among the 19 Republicans backing it, also needs House approval.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., assured progressives that Congress will pursue sweeping initiatives going beyond that infrastructure package.
“To my colleagues who are concerned that this does not do enough on climate, for families, and making corporations and the rich pay their fair share: We are moving on to a second track, which will make a generational transformation in these areas,” Schumer said.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., missed the budget votes to be with his ailing wife.
In a budget ritual, senators plunged into a “vote-a-rama,” a nonstop parade of messaging amendments that often becomes a painful all-night ordeal. This time, the Senate held more than 40 roll calls by the time it approved the measure at around 4 a.m. EDT, more than 14 hours after the procedural wretchedness began.
With the budget resolution largely advisory, the goal of most amendments was not to win but to force the other party’s vulnerable senators to cast troublesome votes that can be used against them in next year’s elections for congressional control.
Republicans crowed after Democrats opposed GOP amendments calling for the full-time reopening of pandemic-shuttered schools and boosting the Pentagon’s budget and retaining limits on federal income tax deductions for state and local levies. They were also happy when Democrats showed support for Biden’s now suspended ban on oil and gas leasing on federal lands, which Republicans said would prompt gasoline price increases.
One amendment may have boomeranged after the Senate voted 99-0 for a proposal by freshman Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to curb federal funds for any municipalities that defund the police. That idea has been rejected by all but the most progressive Democrats, but Republicans have persistently accused them anyway of backing it.
In an animated, sardonic rejoinder, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., called Tuberville’s amendment “a gift” that would let Democrats “put to bed this scurrilous accusation that somebody in this great esteemed body would want to defund the police.” He said he wanted to “walk over there and hug my colleague.”
Republicans claimed two narrow victories with potential implications for future votes, with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the chamber’s more conservative Democrats, joining them on both nonbinding amendments.
One indicated support for health care providers who refuse to participate in abortions. The other voiced opposition to teaching critical race theory, which considers racism endemic to American institutions. There’s scant evidence that it’s part of public school curriculums.
The budget blueprint envisions creating new programs including tuition-free pre-kindergarten and community college, paid family leave and a Civilian Climate Corps whose workers would tackle environmental projects. Millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally would have a new chance for citizenship, and there would be financial incentives for states to adopt more labor-friendly laws.
Medicare would add dental, hearing and vision benefits, and tax credits and grants would prod utilities and industries to embrace clean energy. Child tax credits beefed up for the pandemic would be extended, along with federal subsidies for health insurance.
Besides higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations, Democrats envision savings by letting the government negotiate prices for pharmaceuticals it buys, slapping taxes on imported carbon fuels and strengthening IRS tax collections. Democrats have said their policies will be fully paid for, but they’ll make no final decisions until this fall’s follow-up bill.
Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement raising concerns about the consequences of passing a $3.5 trillion budget.
“Early this morning, I voted ‘YES’ on a procedural vote to move forward on the budget reconciliation process because I believe it is important to discuss the fiscal policy future of this country. However, I have serious concerns about the grave consequences facing West Virginians and every American family if Congress decides to spend another $3.5 trillion.
“Over the past year, Congress has injected more than $5 trillion of stimulus into the American economy – more than any time since World War II – to respond to the pandemic. The challenge we now face is different: millions of jobs remain unfilled across the country and rising inflation rates are now an unavoidable tax on the wages and income of every American. These are not indications of an economy that requires trillions in additional spending. Every elected leader is chosen to make difficult decisions. Adding trillions of dollars more to nearly $29 trillion of national debt, without any consideration of the negative effects on our children and grandchildren, is one of those decisions that has become far too easy in Washington.
“Given the current state of the economic recovery, it is simply irresponsible to continue spending at levels more suited to respond to a Great Depression or Great Recession – not an economy that is on the verge of overheating. More importantly, I firmly believe that continuing to spend at irresponsible levels puts at risk our nation’s ability to respond to the unforeseen crises our country could face. I urge my colleagues to seriously consider this reality as this budget process unfolds in the coming weeks and months.”
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today voted against the Democrats’ budget resolution, which proposes $4.2 trillion in new spending and higher taxes. This partisan budget designed to kick off Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree passed the Senate, with every Senate Democrat voting in favor and every Republican voting no.
“It’s baffling that Democrats see Americans experiencing record inflation under the Biden economy, leading to increased prices on everyday goods and services, and then decide the best course of action is to throw gasoline on the fire with a $4.2 trillion dollar reckless tax and spending spree. Even worse, they want the cost of their new social programs, expanded safety nets, and economically-damaging proposals to rest solely on the backs of working families, small businesses, and consumers. The partisan budget that passed along party lines today is remarkably irresponsible, and further exposes the divide between Democrats in Washington, D.C. and the hardworking West Virginians they want to endlessly tax,” Senator Capito said.
AMENDMENTS FILED, ADOPTED BY SENATOR CAPITO:
The Senate agreed to adopt an amendment filed by Senator Capito to create a deficit-neutral reserve fund to recognize that fossil fuel use is a critical part of any carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) policies.
Other amendments Senator Capito authored intended to:
- Prevent a federal clean energy standard, clean energy mandate, or environmental regulations that would raise energy costs on low-income households, cause workers in the coal or natural gas industry to lose their jobs, or negatively affect the economies of energy-producing states like West Virginia.
- Ensure that no cost increases are associated with the implementation of the Housing retrofit program or interfere with the ability to restore blighted homes in rural, low income communities.
- Prevent tax hikes in coal communities.
- Prevent changes in federal tax law that will contribute to regional unemployment.
- Prevent changes in federal tax law that disproportionately harm specific industries or job sectors.
- Ensure funding for fossil energy research and development to continue to find innovative ways that fossils fuels can be utilized while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Ensure the Department of Energy continues to support the research and development of coal-derived carbon products to find innovative alternative uses for coal.
- Ensure the Department of Energy continues to carry out the research and development of clean coal technologies, including carbon capture, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Support the travel industry by reopening international travel.
o In a data-driven manner, travel to and from countries with vaccination rates at or above the U.S. would be allowed before those with lower vaccination rates.
- Resolve the backlog of passports at the State Department, which ranges from 1.5 to 2 million passports.
o Now that the vaccine is readily available and businesses are reopening, the State Department should be encouraging their staff to come back to the office and attend to the growing backlog.
- Prioritize broadband in rural American for unserved areas.