Biden infrastructure/tax increase megathread

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

This is a genuinely excellent bill. Having read through the funding breakdowns, the hard infrastructure spending is better than 1. Biden's original proposal and 2. all the leaks which discussed what might end up in there. I'm extremely pleasantly surprised, and I hope the senate and house pass this bill exactly as proposed. The American Families Plan can always happen through reconciliation later on.

[President Johnson]

This is a genuinely excellent bill. Having read through the funding breakdowns, the hard infrastructure spending is better than 1. Biden's original proposal and 2. all the leaks which discussed what might end up in there. I'm extremely pleasantly surprised, and I hope the senate and house pass this bill exactly as proposed. The American Families Plan can always happen through reconciliation later on.

This, though 1.8 or 2 trillion would have even been better. I hope they get the other things done through reconciliation. Especially the green energy investments.

[Matty]

Politically, it would be among the dumbest moves ever for the GOP to go along with this bill

Biden can

A) brag about getting infrastructure passed
B) brag about doing it in a bipartisan manner
C) pass all the other stuff through reconciliation

The dems made a brilliant play by not going along with Tim Scott’s criminal justice reform bill, knowing it would give Trump a win before the election

What in the world are republicans thinking?

[brucejoel99]

Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, & Bernie have all made clear that this bipartisan bill isn't passing without Manchin/Sinema agreeing to a follow-up reconciliation package that contains the remainder of the American Jobs & Families Plans, so it's fine by me.

[Motorcity]

Politically, it would be among the dumbest moves ever for the GOP to go along with this bill

Biden can

A) brag about getting infrastructure passed
B) brag about doing it in a bipartisan manner
C) pass all the other stuff through reconciliation

The dems made a brilliant play by not going along with Tim Scott’s criminal justice reform bill, knowing it would give Trump a win before the election

What in the world are republicans thinking?

If Republicans don't agree to a bipartisan deal, Democrats get everything they want through reconcillation AND all the credit.

This way, Republicans can get credit for physical infrastructure which is popular with their base. And won't hurt them farther with independents. They also think that Manchin/Sinema might tamper the reconcillation bill after a bipartisan infrastructure bill.

[Motorcity]

Good for Biden

If he does what he says, bipartisan infrastructure bill and everything else by reconcillation, than it will be a major success

If he can pass free college and public option by the FY 2023 bill, his first two years will be a major success

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Here’s the trailer line

“If this is the only thing that comes to me, I’m not signing it,” Mr. Biden said during remarks in the East Room of the White House. “It’s in tandem.”

So yeah, I’m all on board. I still worry about one of the two botching the reconciliation package after the compromise infrastructure package is through, but they have staked so much of their reputations on it that I think it is unlikely.

[Motorcity]

The House shouldn’t even let this pile of garbage come to a vote unless the Senate passes a 4-5 trillion dollar reconciliation bill first. 

Who's gonna pay for this $950B package? Did they keep the tax hikes on the rich?

Edit: nvm saw that there's no new taxes. Garbage

Would ya'll calm down?

Biden wanted 2 trillion for physical infrastructure and 2 trillion for human infrastrucure.

The budget request was 6 trillion (the final 2 trillion was just the normal budget)

The bipartisan deal was 1.2 trillion. I'm sure the rest will be passed by reconcillation

And yes, there will proabably be tax increases

And even if there isn't, who cares? Debt and deficit don't really matter its just conservative talking points. Besides, the economic acivity will raise revenues anyway.

[brucejoel99]

Five Republicans aren’t ten.

All 11 Republican members of the bipartisan G21 group support it, so it has the votes unless & until McConnell f**ks it up.

[Motorcity]

Can we talk about how absurd it is to see Romney stand next to Biden

Imagine telling someone after the 2012 election that President Joe Biden, just starting his FIRST term in 2021, was making a deal with SENATOR Mitt Romney (Utah). Who was one of the most moderate republicans in the senate

This is so crazy

1. Most people assumed Biden would be too old in 2016, much less 2020

2. They wouldn't understand how Hillary isn't President

3. Democrats ran a platform painting Romney as a out of touch and far right conservative.

4. Romney did everything in his power to take out Obama/Biden in 2012. Them winning set the stage for Biden to win in 2020

Crazy

[Lief 🗽]

This is a genuinely excellent bill. Having read through the funding breakdowns, the hard infrastructure spending is better than 1. Biden's original proposal and 2. all the leaks which discussed what might end up in there. I'm extremely pleasantly surprised, and I hope the senate and house pass this bill exactly as proposed. The American Families Plan can always happen through reconciliation later on.

Yeah it looks like there’s about as much spending on car infrastructure as on trains/public transit which is really fantastic considering how these things go (and some leaks yesterday that the ratio would be like 90-10).

[YE]

https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1408138120286162948?s=21

Reconciliation and death have something in common.

[AGA]

Who's gonna pay for this $950B package? Did they keep the tax hikes on the rich?

Edit: nvm saw that there's no new taxes. Garbage

I've read that it is fully paid for, partially through stronger IRS enforcement.

[7,052,770]

Politically, it would be among the dumbest moves ever for the GOP to go along with this bill

Biden can

A) brag about getting infrastructure passed
B) brag about doing it in a bipartisan manner
C) pass all the other stuff through reconciliation

The dems made a brilliant play by not going along with Tim Scott’s criminal justice reform bill, knowing it would give Trump a win before the election

What in the world are republicans thinking?

Because doing the right thing for the country is more important than getting credit for yourself at the expense of Americans?

[brucejoel99]

Who's gonna pay for this $950B package? Did they keep the tax hikes on the rich?

Edit: nvm saw that there's no new taxes. Garbage

I've read that it is fully paid for, partially through stronger IRS enforcement.

Yes, in addition to reshuffling unused COVID-relief money (like Biden said, he didn't get everything he wanted, as this had once been a no-go), extending customs user fees, reinstating Superfund fees for chemicals, & 5G spectrum auction proceeds. The reconciliation package will still be paid for by enacting a tax increase on corporations & wealthy Americans.

[Torie]

There seems to be assumption that the Dems have 50 votes locked down for more, a lot more, in reconciliation. What is that based on? And why is it assumed that the "moderate" Pubs don't have some assurance as to how much more Manchin/Sinema, etc. will go for in reconciliation, before delivery their votes for more than they might like in a 60 vote bill? Why in compromise give up more than you would like, and would otherwise agree to, if you held the whip on the high ground, in exchange for basically nothing? The only way that would make sense is if the gang of 11 thought that it was in their, or the Pub party's, interest, to do so, come election time.

I am not really asserting the "progressives" here are wrong, and the "Torie Dem" is right, I am just asking if there is a piece of the puzzle that I am missing.

The Torie Dem is concerned personally, that spending on steroids, with not much pay for, or pseudo pay for, or counterproductive pay for, has negative long term consequences, including for the "progressives" down the line. I hope I am wrong on that - not for me personally with a relatively  short half life, stick it to me baby, but for those who will be around considerably longer.

By the way, putting "controversial" words is "quotes" is my shield. Just a hat tip for you young punks out there, who in so short a time have otherwise lapped me in knowledge and perspicacity. May the force be with you.

[Matty]

Politically, it would be among the dumbest moves ever for the GOP to go along with this bill

Biden can

A) brag about getting infrastructure passed
B) brag about doing it in a bipartisan manner
C) pass all the other stuff through reconciliation

The dems made a brilliant play by not going along with Tim Scott’s criminal justice reform bill, knowing it would give Trump a win before the election

What in the world are republicans thinking?

Because doing the right thing for the country is more important than getting credit for yourself at the expense of Americans?

Wish the democrats had this mindset when they filibustered Tim Scott’s police reform bill

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The D's can make it more Green New Deal when they get more seats, Bernie said he going for the 6T Deal in 2023 if D's net the Trifecta again

FL is probably a lost cause due to DeSantis but OH, NC, AK, MO and IA aren't safe R and have blue collar D's running

I never intended to donate to Ds in FL due to DeSantis

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

Politically, it would be among the dumbest moves ever for the GOP to go along with this bill

Biden can

A) brag about getting infrastructure passed
B) brag about doing it in a bipartisan manner
C) pass all the other stuff through reconciliation

The dems made a brilliant play by not going along with Tim Scott’s criminal justice reform bill, knowing it would give Trump a win before the election

What in the world are republicans thinking?

https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1408159419481866244

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1408159419481866244

Welp, Graham is one of the 11 Republican members of their G21 gang, so if they lose even just 1 more member of the sub-group thereof that wasn't directly involved in these bipartisan infrastructure negotiations - Burr, Moran, Rounds, Tillis, & Young - then it was a fun ride while it lasted. "Reconciliation 2: Electric Boogaloo" it will fully be, then.

[GoTfan]

Not nearly enough, but it's a tiny, tiny start at least.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I am not worried, the D's can amend the Green Jobs Act once they get more seats, the D's know this, after 2022

[The Dowager Mod]

Why was Sinema disguised as a traffic cone?

[7,052,770]

My read is that Democrats are going to pass everything they can get 50 votes for, but Manchin and Sinema will feel better about it if at least part of it is "bipartisan," and this way Republicans get to vote Yes on the stuff they like and won't look like fools like they did when they were touting the benefits of the American Rescue bill they all votes against. Seems like a reasonable compromise all around, and very gracious of Democrats to share in this victory.

[AGA]

A major bipartisan victory like this is hard to come by, so I'm not sure why Democrats want to imperil its chances by tying it to a much more partisan package. They should just pass it now and worry about everything else later.