Democrats Roll Out $3.5 Trillion Budget to Fulfill Biden’s Broad Agenda

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona and another key moderate, also hung back on Wednesday, when her office said she would decide whether to support the proposal based on what was included.

Still, the $3.5 trillion package had plenty in it to appeal to senior Democrats who were eager to use it to advance their longtime priorities. For Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the chairwoman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, it was an extension of a more generous child tax credit, as well as subsidies for child care, prekindergarten, and paid family leave.

For Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont and the Budget Committee chairman, it was the Medicare and climate provisions.

“Finally, we are going to have America in the position of leading the world in combating climate change,” he said, calling the package “by far the most significant effort this country has ever seen” to combat climate change.

Mr. Tester said the need for school construction was so high that trillions could go to that alone.

The budget resolution is expected to include language prohibiting tax increases on small businesses, farms and people making less than $400,000, fulfilling a key promise Mr. Biden has maintained throughout the negotiations.

Jim Tankersley, Lisa Friedman and Nicholas Fandos contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/us/politics/biden-social-spending-deal.html