Joe Biden announced Thursday, before his departure for Europe, the new contours of his social and environmental spending plan presented as “historic”, saying he was confident to finally obtain the support of all fringes of the Democratic Party.
To rally the centrists, he agreed to reduce the amount of his plan to 1.750 billion dollars over a decade, half less than what he initially envisioned.
“After months of difficult and intense negotiations, we have a framework agreement which I believe can be adopted,” he posted on Twitter before going to Congress himself.
An agreement would represent a major political victory for the American president, who has staked part of his presidency on the adoption of large-scale investment plans to reform America.
“Everyone is on the same wavelength,” he said on his arrival at Capitol Hill, where he is due to meet with elected Democrats before returning to the White House to deliver a speech at 11:30 a.m. .
“President Biden is convinced that this is a framework that can be adopted by both houses of Congress, and he is anxious to sign it,” said the White House earlier, which hopes for a consensus after months of tension over the amount and terms of funding for the “Build Back Better” plan.
An agreement in principle would also allow the American president to present to his international partners, in Italy for the G20 then in Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP26 on the climate, the image of the United States engaged in the energy transition and the growth, as well as in the fight against social inequalities and tax evasion.
The White House points out that Joe Biden heard “comments from all parties” and “negotiated in good faith” with centrist Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, whose voices are indispensable because the Democratic majority in the Senate is so thin that ‘a single dissonant voice is equivalent to a veto.
These two senators have hitherto obstructed, judging the amount too high and opposing the way to finance it, in particular by tax increases on companies or the wealthiest households.
In addition to the “Build Back Better” plan, Congress must also validate a second plan of some 1000 billion dollars intended to modernize the country’s infrastructure.
Joe Biden and his government have consistently emphasized the importance of these plans, arguing that the United States is losing its competitiveness and is a poor student among advanced countries, whether in education, environment or social safety net.
In a document detailing the measures, the White House notes that this plan would allow “most American families to save more than half of their childcare expenses”, and “will offer[it] two years of free preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in America ”.
Today, the majority of schools in the country do not welcome children before the age of 5.
555 billion for the climate
Addressing the participants of COP26, the White House emphasizes that the “Build Back Better” plan contains “the greatest effort [financier] climate change campaign in American history, ”or $ 555 billion.
If adopted, this plan would significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution, “will reduce[it] consumer energy costs […], will create[it] hundreds of thousands of high quality jobs and will[it] advancing environmental justice, ”Washington said.
It is a “unique […] in history ”, which targets buildings, transport, industry, electricity, agriculture and water.
“The framework will put the United States on the right track to meet its climate goals, achieving a 50 to 52 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels.”
The White House maintains that this plan can be financed by “big profitable companies”.
The bill thus contains measures so that these companies “cannot reduce their tax bill to zero” and provides for provisions for millionaires and billionaires to put their hands more in the pot.