(Washington) The American elected officials seemed on Thursday on the right track to vote on the gigantic program of social and ecological reforms of President Joe Biden and thus to advance his project to transform the country, even if the road before its adoption remains long and strewn with ‘pitfalls.
The president had painfully won a first round with the passage through the House of Representatives earlier this month of his $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure plan, the largest public works program in the United States since Dwight Eisenhower created the interstate highway network in 1956.
To complete Joe Biden’s vision, Democrats in the lower house now want to pass his $ 1.750 billion social and environmental plan, and there’s a chance they’ll vote as early as Thursday night.
But they face resistance as prices, especially gasoline, are on the rise.
And it will remain in the Senate to examine the text, which may not happen for several weeks.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was aiming for a House vote on Thursday evening after procedural matters were settled.
“I signed a historic infrastructure law, and the ‘Build Back Better’ plan is underway. It’s improving, ”Joe Biden said on Twitter Thursday.
This plan “is a spectacular vision for the future, with historic actions leading to real transformation for the health system, families and the climate,” Mr.me Pelosi in a letter to elected officials.
This social and ecological component notably provides for kindergarten for all and substantial investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
House Democrats, who cannot afford to lose more than three members to win any vote along partisan lines, display their optimism, ensuring they can overcome the internal differences that have marked the debate on “Build Back Better” for months. .
A few centrist Democrats wanted a full analysis from the Congressional Budget Office to clarify the exact cost of the program before agreeing to vote.
That office said Thursday night that the plan would increase the deficit by $ 367 billion over ten years.
This amount could have bothered some elected officials, but they seem to have been reassured by the statements of officials of the White House stressing that the estimate does not take into account possible savings related to taxation.
“My ‘Build Back Better’ plan will reduce the deficit by more than $ 100 billion over ten years,” Joe Biden reacted on Twitter, promising that it would “lower costs, create jobs and rebuild our economy” .
Inflation
Concerns about the rising cost of living cloud President Biden’s efforts to convince Americans of the importance of his plans.
Last month, prices had risen 6.2% year on year, bringing water to the mill of the Republican opposition which aims to take back both houses of Congress from the Democrats next year in the mid-election. mandate.
And even if the House passes the bill this week, there is still a long way to go, especially since the text will certainly be altered by the upper house.
The Senate being very exactly divided (50 elected for each camp), any Democrat or affiliate has in fact what is akin to a veto on any bill if the Republicans close ranks.
Progressives in both houses are pushing for a nationwide paid parental leave program and expanded health coverage, but the latest inflation figures could affect their campaign.
West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, the main obstacle to the adoption of this social and environmental project, has said he is opposed to parental leave, one of the most popular elements of the program.
Tensions between centrist and progressive Democrats in the House have appeared to ease, but it is uncertain whether either side will vote for the version that will come back from the Senate.
“We will continue to work on this important law until it is passed,” Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech.