Biden infrastructure/tax increase megathread

[GeneralMacArthur]

Can we actually see if this even gets to the point of being voted on before we celebrate?

I can't blame anyone for still being cautious in the face of this decent news.

Schumer already said they'd like to take it up next week.

Can't see this failing; Sinema has no major reason not to support and she usually only fails to support things when she can also hide behind Manchin as well. Can't do that this time. Meanwhile, besides maybe 1-3 people in the house who tend to be problematic, I can't imagine this will be a hard sell. Also, all of them know this is a must win at this point if they want any chance in Nov

It could fail if somebody else gets Covid. e.g. Machin just had it.

Oh yeah, can't pass this until Leahy gets back, right?  Can we just crowdfund a bunch of bubble wrap and a luxurious padded ambulance to bring him from Vermont to DC?

[wbrocks67]

This is all going to plan for Dark Brandon.

[KaiserDave]

This is still a pretty weaksauce bill (and even that’s being extremely generous) and it’s kinda pathetic to see red avatars fawning over it, but I guess that’s what learned helplessness will do to you.  It’s better than nothing, I suppose, but that’s about the nicest thing that can be said about this basic, bare-bones bill.

Of course it's barebones and feeble. But we will take what we can get, and if it can help some people get by that's a win. "Pathetic?" C'mon man.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

This is still a pretty weaksauce bill (and even that’s being extremely generous) and it’s kinda pathetic to see red avatars fawning over it, but I guess that’s what learned helplessness will do to you.  It’s better than nothing, I suppose, but that’s about the nicest thing that can be said about this basic, bare-bones bill.

Of course it's barebones and feeble. But we will take what we can get, and if it can help some people get by that's a win. "Pathetic?" C'mon man.

It’s one thing to say “take what we can get,” it’s another to act like this is some glorious progressive victory or pretend that Manchin isn’t basically a DINO.

Then again, these tweets are pretty f***ing pathetic too, so who knows?

Oh my god this is so embarrassing.

Of course this kid works for Cori Bush, who also staged a protest against the Biden Administration while they were already working on a thing, and then when they finished work on the thing and announced it, claimed it was all because of her.  He's learning from the best!

https://twitter.com/saaaauuull/status/1552417353371099138?cxt=HHwWhICxrfPWpYsrAA...

https://twitter.com/saaaauuull/status/1552399117615333376

https://twitter.com/ariakov/status/1552403414306508801?cxt=HHwWgsC-ncWrn4srAAAA

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

This is still a pretty weaksauce bill (and even that’s being extremely generous) and it’s kinda pathetic to see red avatars fawning over it, but I guess that’s what learned helplessness will do to you.  It’s better than nothing, I suppose, but that’s about the nicest thing that can be said about this basic, bare-bones bill.

Of course it's barebones and feeble. But we will take what we can get, and if it can help some people get by that's a win. "Pathetic?" C'mon man.

Considering the utter lack of progress for the last year, I'm actually going to be pretty happy if we get this through. It's been maddening to see this party shoot itself in the foot again and again, somehow finding ways to let positive legislation die for no good reason, a change to that pattern is desperately needed both for the party and the country.

[Pericles]

Joe Biden instantly goes from a failed to successful President in my book with this.

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

These tweets are cuck energy

[Torie]

I am just not going to read the reactions above. Can someone tell me whether the latest has reduced the Manchin hate to a dull roar, or are the wolves even more ravenous?

[Pericles]

I am just not going to read the reactions above. Can someone tell me whether the latest has reduced the Manchin hate to a dull roar, or are the wolves even more ravenous?

He still killed any filibuster reform and the Child Tax Credit but I dislike him a lot less now because climate change is such a huge issue and those other ones don't affect me personally lol. If this whole bill passes it's a pretty solid record of accomplishments.

[KaiserDave]

Manchin is unambiguously awful, this deal is still a good thing. Very easy to conclude both of these things.

[7,052,770]

It’s one thing to say “take what we can get,” it’s another to act like this is some glorious progressive victory or pretend that Manchin isn’t basically a DINO.

I don't know what you were expecting. The voters didn't give the Democratic Party any wiggle room. Biden has a very good list of accomplishments when you consider how narrow his majorities are.

If people want more, they need to give him bigger majorities in November.

[Indy Texas]

Democratic seats in the Senate during...

Passage of New Deal Programs
1933: 59 / 96 (62%)
1935: 70 / 96 (73%)
1937: 79 / 96 (83%)

Passage of Great Society Programs
1963: 65 / 100 (65%)
1965: 68 / 100 (68%)

Passage of Obama's stimulus and the ACA
2009: 59 / 100 (59%)

Passage of Joe Biden's legislation
2021: 50 / 100 (50%)

If you want New Deal era levels of legislation, you need to figure out a way to get New Deal era levels of Democratic senators. (And, unlike in those days, there are no liberal Republicans who would be willing to vote for that stuff. You have to rely solely on your own caucus.)

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

These tweets are cuck energy

Yeah, but so are a lot of the red-avatar posts in this thread.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

Biden needs to accept this deal and then go on television and make a forceful case for why he needs a real mandate this November.

Tell the nation that with a real majority we can move beyond bandaids to our biggest problems.

[Stockdale for Veep]

Democratic seats in the Senate during...

Passage of New Deal Programs
1933: 59 / 96 (62%)
1935: 70 / 96 (73%)
1937: 79 / 96 (83%)

Passage of Great Society Programs
1963: 65 / 100 (65%)
1965: 68 / 100 (68%)

Passage of Obama's stimulus and the ACA
2009: 59 / 100 (59%)

Passage of Joe Biden's legislation
2021: 50 / 100 (50%)

If you want New Deal era levels of legislation, you need to figure out a way to get New Deal era levels of Democratic senators. (And, unlike in those days, there are no liberal Republicans who would be willing to vote for that stuff. You have to rely solely on your own caucus.)

What would be the "you'll have my vote when you need it" conversions for the inflated Dixiecrat era? Biden has 48-50 solid votes, depending on the issue.

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

These tweets are cuck energy

Yeah, but so are a lot of the red-avatar posts in this thread.

u rite

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

369 billion for climate?! Nice!

That's just $37 billion a year. Congress just increased the military budget by more than that over what Biden asked for.

[Indy Texas]

Democratic seats in the Senate during...

Passage of New Deal Programs
1933: 59 / 96 (62%)
1935: 70 / 96 (73%)
1937: 79 / 96 (83%)

Passage of Great Society Programs
1963: 65 / 100 (65%)
1965: 68 / 100 (68%)

Passage of Obama's stimulus and the ACA
2009: 59 / 100 (59%)

Passage of Joe Biden's legislation
2021: 50 / 100 (50%)

If you want New Deal era levels of legislation, you need to figure out a way to get New Deal era levels of Democratic senators. (And, unlike in those days, there are no liberal Republicans who would be willing to vote for that stuff. You have to rely solely on your own caucus.)

What would be the "you'll have my vote when you need it" conversions for the inflated Dixiecrat era? Biden has 48-50 solid votes, depending on the issue.

The Social Security Act of 1935, which created the program, passed the Senate 77-6-2.

It's worth noting that part of the reason it was able to pass so overwhelmingly was that FDR made a very big compromise—he did not include agricultural or domestic workers in the program. And guess who disproportionately performed agricultural and domestic work in the South!

The people who have been pooh-poohing everything Biden and a 50-50 Senate have passed would have been absolutely eviscerating the Social Security Act as a joke bill and declaring they wouldn't be bothering to vote in 1936.

[wbrocks67]

Durbin has COVID, but if he isolates for 5 days and tests negative, he'd be ready to vote by Tuesday.

[Sir Mohamed]

Well, it's better than nothing. Given the circumstances of a 50-50 senate, the most we can get. Biden should take it and run with it. It's been almost a year since congress passed the last major legislation (infrastructure bill).

Still hope we get the public option, though I'm not overly optimistic about that.

[Beet]

The climate deal is badly needed good news for Biden. Given that the Democrats lack a governing majority, passing this and the Infrastructure bill isn't such a bad job. The man is contending with a hostile China, a wartime Russia, a hostile opposition party, an unfriendly Supreme Court and a pandemic and he's doing it with 50 Senate seats. Yes he needs to do more but he may not be as bad as some have been saying (including myself sometimes).

[GALeftist]

To be clear, yes obviously I wish the bill was stronger; I'm a socialist, for God's sake, I'd like for it to have established single-payer healthcare and confiscated+redistributed personal wealth over $25 million, and finished radical reconstruction while we're at it. Nevertheless, this is way more than I thought we were getting, and frankly climate change is such a huge issue that I'll be ecstatic with anything that promises to mitigate its effects in any way.

[ultraviolet]

Honest question, what will the deficit reduction do for inflation and/or the economy at large? Will it affect it at all?

[emailking]

Manchin said today he hasn't talked with Sinema about this.

[roxas11]

Honest question, what will the deficit reduction do for inflation and/or the economy at large? Will it affect it at all?

It may have some impact, but in my opinion the healthcare part of the bill will have a far more dramatic effect on the American people since "The bill will finally allow Medicare to negotiate for prescription drugs and lower health care costs for millions of Americans.

these are the type of changes that people will be able to see in their real everyday lives and lowering the cost of healthcare will defiantly make a difference to a lot of people who are concerned about rising prices