For a gridlocked capital, Washington has been amazingly productive.
Tag Archives: American Families Plan (2021)
The Inflation Reduction Act Is a Huge Deal for the Climate
On climate, Biden got almost everything he wanted.
There’s a Reason We Can’t Have Nice Things
“Racism has undermined efforts to deliver a social safety net in the U.S. for a very long time,” one scholar says.
Climate Politics Are Worse Than You Think
If only it were just about money.
Pre-K Is Powerful, but Only if You Do It Right
Low-quality pre-K programs can be worse than useless. High-quality ones can change lives.
As Biden Pivots, Democrats Seek to Salvage His Domestic Agenda
The president repackaged his sweeping domestic policy plan with more centrist language, but it remained unclear whether Congress would resurrect key elements of his agenda.
Free Community College Won’t Be in Spending Bill, Jill Biden to Say
In a speech on Monday, the first lady will acknowledge that her signature legislative initiative is “no longer” in the Democrats’ spending bill.
With Broad Safety Net Bill Stalled, Democrats Weigh What to Salvage
As discussions resumed over how to whittle down Democrats’ marquee plan, Senator Joe Manchin, a key holdout, said any talks would be “starting from scratch.”
This Isn’t the Presidency Biden Imagined for Himself
The problems the president is facing are an almost perfect inversion of the problems Obama faced.
Biden Comes Out Swinging Against Republicans as His Agenda Stalls
The president pledged to use all of the powers of his office to thwart Republicans still under the thumb of Donald J. Trump.
No, the Build Back Better Act Isn’t Dead Yet
The strategy Barack Obama used to resuscitate the A.C.A. offers clues that may help revive the Build Back Better Act, and President Biden’s precarious standing.
Joe Manchin Just Did Democrats a Favor on Build Back Better
The Democrats have to stop playing games with expiration dates and do fewer things better. Thanks to Manchin, maybe they finally will.
The Policy Debate at the Heart of the Biden-Manchin Standoff
President Biden and Senator Joe Manchin III have many differences over the proposed domestic policy bill, but one issue stands out: the child tax credit.
Manchin in the Middle: Is He a ‘No,’ or a ‘Not Yet’?
Democrats have been left hoping that the West Virginian, who fashions himself as an old-school centrist dealmaker, will eventually budge on President Biden’s agenda.
What We Lose if We Don’t Build Back Better
Manchin’s justifications for his betrayal won’t wash.
Joe Manchin Says He Can’t Support Build Back Better Act
“I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” Mr. Manchin said on ‘Fox News Sunday,’ citing concerns about adding to the national debt.
Biden Lauds South Carolina State Grads in Commencement Speech
The president spoke amid his struggle to pass a bill that would give $10 billion to colleges and universities that historically serve Black, tribal and other minority students.
Biden Concedes Social Policy Bill Is Stalled as Immigration Plan Falters
A top Senate official ruled that a measure to grant legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants must come out of the plan, as President Biden said a final deal would take more time.
Inflation Keeps Getting Worse. But Can the Fed Really Rein It In?
Higher interest rates could put a cap on rising costs, but it could also make the economy worse for workers.
Manchin Balks on Social Policy Bill; Democrats May Punt to 2022
A self-imposed Christmas deadline for action on the $2.2 trillion social safety net, climate and tax package appeared likely to slip as negotiations with the West Virginia Democrat faltered.
The Bogus Bashing of Build Back Better
Beware of bad faith, bad logic and bad arithmetic.
Manchin Casts Doubt on Quick Vote on Biden’s Social Policy Bill
The West Virginia Democrat said he still harbored serious concerns about the $2.2 trillion measure, potentially frustrating his party’s push to win Senate approval before Christmas.
So You Lost the Election. We Had Nothing to Do With It.
Why is it that progressives are always blamed when moderates lose?
How Stephanie Murphy, a Holdout on Biden’s Agenda, Helped Salvage It
The centrist Democrat from Florida put the brakes on President Biden’s social safety net legislation because of concerns about cost. Then she brokered a deal to steer it through the House.
There Is Another Democrat A.O.C. Should Be Mad At
The monumental scale of the Build Back Better plan raises a difficult question: Is a fleeting and narrow majority enough for making history?
Spending as if the Future Matters
Public investment, including spending on children, is a worthy American tradition.
Manchin and Sinema Find Financial Support From G.O.P. Donors
The two Democratic senators are attracting campaign contributions from business interests and conservatives as progressives fume over their efforts to pare back the president’s domestic policy bill.
How Nancy Pelosi Got Biden’s Build Back Better Bill Back on Track
The House’s approval of a sweeping social policy bill after weeks of fits and starts notched another win for the speaker in a career defined by them.
Fact-Checking Kevin McCarthy’s 8-Hour Speech
The House Republican leader made a number of false or misleading claims about the social spending bill, President Biden, immigration policy and Teslas.
Build Back Better May Not Have Passed a Decade Ago
President Barack Obama barely muscled his health law through the House. But income inequality, economic stagnation and a pandemic propelled an even more ambitious bill.
House Narrowly Passes Biden’s Social Safety Net and Climate Bill
The vote was months in the making for the roughly $2 trillion measure, one of the most consequential bills in decades. Now it faces a difficult path in the Senate.
C.B.O. Finds Biden’s Spending Bill Not Fully Paid For
The White House and Congressional Budget Office are at odds over how much revenue the Internal Revenue Service could recoup from tax cheats.
Sure, Biden’s Plan Costs a Lot of Money. But the Price of Inaction Is Higher.
Tell Senator Manchin that failing to deliver is more than we can afford.
Biden Says Spending Bill Will Slow Inflation. But When?
The Biden administration has argued that its infrastructure and broader economic package will slow rapid price increases. But that will take time.
House Democrats Hunt for Votes to Pass Biden’s Domestic Agenda
Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants a vote as soon as Thursday night on a $1.85 trillion social policy and climate bill, but moderates are pushing back.
House Democrats Revive Paid Leave Program, Ignoring Manchin’s Concerns
The House plans to add a provision to provide four weeks of federally paid family and medical leave to their social policy bill, but it is all but certain to be jettisoned by the Senate.
Democrats Push for Agreement on Tax Deduction That Benefits the Rich
Lawmakers are coalescing around a deal to suspend a $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions that was imposed during the Trump administration.
Manchin Refuses to Endorse Safety Net Bill, Dampening Hopes of a Quick Vote
The Democratic senator, a crucial swing vote, demanded more time to evaluate the economic and fiscal ramifications of the $1.85 trillion plan, frustrating plans for a House vote this week.
What the Democrats’ Plan Would Do for Parents
Paid family leave was dropped. Public pre-K and subsidized child care remain, and could substantially lower the cost of raising children.
A Social Policy ‘Framework’ Fails to Secure a Biden Victory
President Biden went to the Capitol to detail a compromise on social safety net and climate legislation, but he couldn’t break the liberal blockade on another priority, infrastructure.
The President’s Gamble: Biden Implores Democrats to Support His Agenda
“The House and Senate majorities and my presidency will be determined by what happens in the next week,” President Biden told lawmakers on Thursday.
Biden Implores Democrats to Support His Transformative Agenda
“The House and Senate majorities and my presidency will be determined by what happens in the next week,” President Biden told lawmakers on Thursday.
Climate Change Became the Central Part of Biden Spending Bill
As paid family leave and other priorities were taken out of the president’s plan, the largest piece became a $555 billion plan to fight climate change.
Health coverage would be expanded under the Democrats’ spending plan.
The insurance expansion would offer free private plans to many low-income adults and financial assistance with premiums to higher earners.
Racing the Clock, Democrats Grasp for a Deal on Biden’s Agenda
Democrats struggled to bridge crucial differences over what to include in and how to pay for their social policy and climate plan.
Manchin Is in the Middle, With Biden’s Agenda in the Balance
Democrats, including President Biden, are lobbying for Senator Joe Manchin III’s support, knowing he is a crucial swing vote on their domestic agenda.
How to Fix the Democrats’ Build Back Better Plan
The party has to do a few things well, rather than a bunch of things poorly.
Biden and Democrats Push for Budget Deal This Week as Rifts Remain
Negotiators were closing in on a deal that could spend around $1.75 trillion, but lawmakers were still haggling over critical disagreements on the sprawling social policy bill.
Tax the Rich, Help America’s Children
Democrats’ plans aren’t “Marxism.” They’re as American as apple pie.
Biden Meets With Manchin and Schumer to Iron Out Spending Bill
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hoped to pass an infrastructure bill and have a deal in hand on the social policy bill by the end of the week.