The presence of the US President in the Capitol is a rare occurrence. But Joe Biden does not have much time left to persuade opponents in his party. He reached the Parliament.
With a visit to Congress, the US President did Joe Biden The internal party, which tries to protect its reform agenda, is in danger in the event of trench warfare. Biden met with members of his Democratic Party at the Capitol on Friday to discuss his trillion-dollar infrastructure and social package. “We’ll make it,” the 78-year-old said in front of reporters. “It doesn’t matter if it takes six minutes, six days or six weeks.”
The fact that the President appears in person in Congress is extremely unusual – and shows the gravity of the situation. Biden wants a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package and a $3.5 trillion welfare package through Congress. Both projects could fail due to a bitter dispute between the progressive and liberal democratic wing.
Leftists are calling for social reforms
The House of Representatives was to pass a previously approved infrastructure package in the Senate on Thursday, which provides billions for the expansion of roads, bridges, train routes and broadband Internet. Left MPs are threatening that they will allow the infrastructure package to fail if well-planned social reforms are not pursued simultaneously.
They fear the reform package for education, families, better childcare, expansion of state health insurance and climate protection could be scrapped in the Senate once the infrastructure package is approved and they no longer have any benefits. Because two Democratic senators – central politicians Joe Manchin and Kirsten Cinemas – see the social package as too expensive. Some call the project “fiscal madness” and will not approve more than $1.5 trillion.
power of two parliamentarians
Because Democrats only have a very small majority in the Senate, they can’t tolerate a single disagreement—which gives Munchkin and cinema an incredible amount of power. With their stance, the two senators, who are jointly nicknamed “Manchinema,” have drawn the ire of many Democrats, especially when they alone may bury Biden’s reform agenda.
Democratic leaders in the White House and Congress have been looking for a deal for days. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrats Nancy Pelosic, wanted to vote on the infrastructure package on Friday. However, he should vote only if he is sure of the majority.
The controversy over two huge investment packages is not Biden’s only concern. The United States is also threatened with bankruptcy in mid-October if the debt limit is not raised by then. Democrats have to fight against opposition Republicans here.
Only budget lock averted
On the other hand, it was possible to avert a budget freeze at the last minute, which would have been threatened by Friday: On Thursday, Congress passed a transitional budget that ensures funding for federal officials until December 3.
Without an interim solution, the United States would have slipped into a so-called shutdown. Then hundreds of thousands of federal employees would have been sent on unpaid compulsory leave, and many public institutions such as authorities, museums and national parks would have to be closed until further notice.
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