Biden infrastructure/tax increase megathread

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It won't matter because Manchin and Sinema aren't going for reconciliation they want a bipartisan plan just like they said they aren't using reconciliation to pass 300 Unemployment benefits anymore

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

A bipartisan panel of House moderates (aka, the 'Problem Solvers Caucus') have weighed in:

House moderates unveil $1.25T infrastructure plan

We'll see how they fund this plan, but this is probably President Biden's best bet on getting that infrastructure package through, assuming Senator Manchin doesn't buy into reconciliation. 

In the coming days, the group - 29 Democrats and 29 Republicans - will offer proposals for how to pay for the package but it is not backing tax increases that Biden and progressives want, sources said.

So in short the ‘Problem Solvers’ have accomplished nothing.

[CookieDamage]

Bipartisan group of Senators unveiled the same package with no tax hikes and lots of cuts.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Bipartisan group of Senators unveiled the same package with no tax hikes and lots of cuts.

Yes, I’m sure the American people were just crying out to do less so that not a single cent of the massive rich people tax giveaway goes back. Thank god Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema were on the case. Sorry disabled kids, your nurses aren’t infrastructure anyway.

Also, is it weird to anyone else that the fiscal conservatives that keep yelling about inflation just waiting to turn us into Greece are all about finding ways to avoid tax increases. I’m starting to suspect that they may have ulterior motives.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

https://twitter.com/JStein_WaPo/status/1403122628546732042
https://twitter.com/JStein_WaPo/status/1403128858912645123

[S019]

Schumer says they are planning a reconciliation package, even if the bipartisan talks are successful: https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1404522839718436871?s=20

I do wonder what "bold action on climate means," given Democrats are opposed to a gas tax increase, and user fees in general, and a direct carbon tax or cap and trade are likely off the table, electric vehicle subsidies could be it, but iirc that was being discussed in the bipartisan package.

[Frodo]

According to Hill staffers from both parties, once (or if) infrastructure is finally passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, that's probably going to be it in terms of big legislative accomplishments, thanks largely to Manchin & Co. not budging on the filibuster.  

[CookieDamage]

According to Hill staffers from both parties, once (or if) infrastructure is finally passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, that's probably going to be it in terms of big legislative accomplishments, thanks largely to Manchin & Co. not budging on the filibuster.  

I did see reports that Schumer and Sanders are considering a reconciliation bill that includes American Jobs and American Family plans.

[S019]

https://twitter.com/elwasson/status/1404557248840581129?s=21

So the Republicans also have concerns about gas tax indexing, it's probably dead sadly then, the one good thing that we thought the Republicans could do, they couldn't do.

[S019]

And Manchin and Sinema have indicated openness to a Democratic only plan

https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1404560101617422339

https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1404558902310678528?s=21

[Frodo]

According to Hill staffers from both parties, once (or if) infrastructure is finally passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, that's probably going to be it in terms of big legislative accomplishments, thanks largely to Manchin & Co. not budging on the filibuster.  

I did see reports that Schumer and Sanders are considering a reconciliation bill that includes American Jobs and American Family plans.

That's good.  That's very good. Especially if the more centrist Democrats are gradually getting on board with it, tentatively judging from the above texts.  If we have to resort to reconciliation, we might as well do the whole combined package in one fell swoop, and end the year on a high note.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

And Manchin and Sinema have indicated openness to a Democratic only plan

https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1404560101617422339
https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1404558902310678528?s=21

I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.
Manchin’s going to give it a ‘fair look’ by trying to convince Republicans to vote for it and then declare he can’t do it because they didn’t give him permission.

Ignoring the Sinema-Collins-Romney conference and working on reconciliation starting from the original plans instead of whatever GOP fig leaf offer is the right approach, but the reality that their are two Republicans plus a few undercover blue dogs makes me very skeptical.

[R.P. McM]

According to Hill staffers from both parties, once (or if) infrastructure is finally passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, that's probably going to be it in terms of big legislative accomplishments, thanks largely to Manchin & Co. not budging on the filibuster.  

Manchin & Co. want some pork barrel spending to grease their reelection campaigns. At this point, I think liberal Democrats should block the infrastructure bill. No voting rights reforms = no local projects for Manchin & Co. to tout. It's a quid pro quo, and if Manchin & Co. refuse to bend, it won't be liberal Democrats losing their seats.

[Ferguson97]

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1405267079410814979

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

So the nine worst Dems and Jon Tester, hey MT elections don’t win themselves, have agreed to a framework devised by venture capitalist who thinks 47% of Americans are parasites Mitt Romney and personal concierge to the Chamber of Commerce Kyrsten Sinema.

I neither hold out any hope that there isn’t some kind of catch here, I’m expecting the no taxes to mean no taxes on important people but lots of broad based regressive consumption tax and significant money stolen from state and local government, nor expect the actual Dems in congress to let this move without their own reconciliation based bill to fix whatever Mittens (hey didn’t we very explicitly not make him president?) is trying to break here.

[YE]

https://twitter.com/jstein_wapo/status/1405518618859868160?s=21

[YE]

https://twitter.com/elwasson/status/1405568124968132612?s=21

[Old Man Willow]

The mid-Atlantic has the worst Democrats in the country.

[Bootes Void]

The mid-Atlantic has the worst Democrats in the country.

And Not the south?

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

https://twitter.com/elwasson/status/1405568124968132612?s=21

Schumer needs to tell Warner to get in line or the party's backing a primary challenger next time his seat's up. VA will elect any non-crazy Dem.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

The mid-Atlantic has the worst Democrats in the country.

And Not the south?

In the Senate, they tend not to get elected. The mid-Atlantic has Coons, Carper, Cardin, Menendez and Warner. Along with Feinstein, they are probably the core members of the “fiscally conservative, socially liberal” ex-DLC group who should not be Senators for any states, let alone deep blue ones.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

https://twitter.com/elwasson/status/1405568124968132612?s=21

But I thought only purity ponies opposed things and very serious moderates took the pragmatic approach and worked with what was on the table.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Don't D's know they can come back after 2022 and modify the Reconciliation, Bernie isn't seriously thinking with 30T in debt his 6T is gonna pass, probably after 2022 if we net 53 seats

Anyway if you are on Disability or SSA you can get Medicare usually at 40 yrs old qualified you for Disability

Also SSDI are gonna get 5.3% increase in Nov that's 100/150 payment increase instead of the 25/50 increase it all contributes to debt ceiling

[R.P. McM]

The mid-Atlantic has the worst Democrats in the country.

And Not the south?

LOL. Yeah, they're ALL terrible! Sometimes I feel as though I'm losing my ******* mind. Like, if you transparently support corporate interests above the general welfare in MN, you're going to lose. But, evidently, in a bunch of much poorer states (VA excepted), that's a winning formula. Honestly, I feel like we should just join Canada.

[Frodo]

Here is a conservative case for including child care as part of the infrastructure package.  It's worth a read:

Conservative values support investing in child care as infrastructure. Here’s why.
Done right, Biden’s plan to expand child care could be as foundational to our nation’s prosperity as any shovel-ready bridge or tunnel project.