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Even before 10 senators from both parties announced a broad deal on a $ 1.2 trillion eight-year plan on Thursday, a number of Senate Democratic caucus members threatened to oppose it, putting the effort in jeopardy before the group finalized many details. .
Criticism has escalated day by day, pointing to growing tension in the ranks as moderates urge colleagues to be patient and Democratic leaders struggle to find a deal that can pass the Senate 50-50 and please to the different factions within their party.
“Let’s face it. It’s time to move forward,” Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, told CNN during talks with the bipartisan group. “The Republicans have held us back long enough.
Senator Richard Blumenthal added: “I have no confidence that this bipartisan group will come to an agreement. They should have limited time to do so. I really think it is time to unplug now and go. act quickly and forcefully … I worry about wasting time. ”
“We just don’t have time to waste,” the Connecticut Democrat said.
The public rebuke comes even as Democratic leaders in the White House and Senate give negotiators on both sides time to see if they can strike a deal that can be passed by Congress, a bipartisan group of 10 senators said Thursday that they had come to an agreement “on a comprehensive framework” and it would be “fully paid and not include the tax increases”.
The challenge for the White House and the Democratic leaders – if they support this plan – will be to convince the left that the priorities left outside the bipartisan agreement will ultimately be incorporated into the next proposal, which the Democrats want to push through according to the party lines through the filibuster-proof budget process.
Of the $ 1.2 trillion in the bipartisan group’s proposal, $ 578 billion would represent new spending. The cost over five years would be $ 947 billion, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
But the details have yet to be written down and face a difficult task to gain enough support to become law.
Democratic leaders say they are pursuing Biden’s massive infrastructure and social safety net program along bipartisan and partisan paths. As bipartisan talks continue, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer prepares to begin the budget process next month, paving the way for a bill to move forward along party lines, which can only succeed if the 50 Democrats approve such a process called reconciliation.
“We are on two tracks: a bipartisan track and a reconciliation track, and both are moving forward,” Schumer told CNN Thursday.
Still, a number of Democrats say that whatever the bipartisan deal is, it is unlikely to gain broad support within their caucus.
“I think it has been very clear to these negotiators, that we are rooting them, but that there is no guarantee that you can get 50 Democratic votes for the package they are producing,” Senator Chris warned. Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut.
In particular, Democrats are worried about how the package will be paid for – while Republican senators say there would be no tax hike and Democrats have demanded new corporate and senior taxes. income to pay for the plan. But the bipartisan group is instead considering redirecting already passed Covid-19 relief money, while increasing the inflation-prone gasoline tax – ideas a number of Democrats adamantly oppose.
Asked about the Republicans’ refusal to raise taxes to help pay for the plan, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono said, “I totally disagree with”.
The divisions underscore not only political differences within the Democratic caucus, but also regional ones. Many of the bipartisan group’s lawmakers are from states outside the Northeast Corridor, where residents rely heavily on rail and public transport.
“I get concerned when I see groups of senators that do not include members of the Northeast Corridor who really care about making sure we drastically change transit times,” Murphy said.
Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said he was “certain” that the bipartisan talks will not produce “what I think we need to do for the people of Pennsylvania,” calling for the enactment of the US plan to $ 1.8 trillion families and $ 2.3 trillion US Jobs Plan.
But Democrats have a problem: They lack consensus to pass such a massive bill along straight party lines, while moderates like Sense do. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona are pushing for further bipartisan talks instead.
“At the moment, we don’t have the votes to do it,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire who is also engaged in bipartisan talks, when asked if she would support a one-off approach. Democrat through the process of reconciliation. .
“I say, let’s give it a little more time,” said Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine who speaks with Democrats. “The legislative process was designed to be slow and cumbersome.
With Biden traveling across Europe during a critical time in his presidency, the White House has said the president will be amendable to phone calls while abroad. Much of the White House’s contribution is expected to come from assistants left behind, including White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and Director of Legislative Affairs Louisa Terrell.
On the Republican side, members of the bipartisan group informed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday with GOP members telling reporters that McConnell had indicated he was “open” to letting the talks go ahead.
“Mitch McConnell said yesterday he’s open to it. It’s a good next step,” said Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, who is part of the group trying to strike a bipartisan deal.
Other Republican leaders, however, have expressed doubts that a successful deal could bring together the 10 Republicans needed to overcome an attempted filibuster.
South Dakota Senate GOP Whip John Thune and Texas Senator John Cornyn said the proposed spending amount should be close to what Republican negotiators have already offered Biden – roughly $ 300 billion in cash fees and $ 1 trillion in overall spending – to garner broad support in the Republican conference. This number, however, has already been rejected by the White House.
“I think he thinks he’s going to get a better deal,” Cornyn said of Biden’s ongoing talks with a new set of Republicans. “But nothing says what this group accepts that other Republicans are going to support. To me, that’s the flaw in that kind of approach.”
This discussion raised Liberals’ concern that 10 Republicans would likely support no deal, even one some of their members endorse.
“No,” said Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, when asked if he would support the bipartisan group’s potential deal.
“In my opinion, now is the time to finally stand up for the working families of this country. Black and white, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, this is what we need to do,” Sanders said. “If your question is: do I think there are 10 Republicans who are ready to do it? No, i dont think so.
This story and title have been updated to reflect further developments on Thursday.
CNN’s Ted Barrett and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.
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