POLITICO Playbook: What Ron Klain told progressives behind closed doors

[DonViejo]

By RACHAEL BADE, RYAN LIZZA, TARA PALMERI and EUGENE DANIELS 03/18/2021 06:17 AM EDT

SCOOP: WHITE HOUSE CONSIDERING BREAKING UP ‘BUILD BACK BETTER’ — Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus met with White House chief of staff RON KLAIN at the White House on Wednesday morning. We caught up with CPC Chair PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.) on Wednesday night, and here’s what she told us:

1) ON ‘BUILD BACK BETTER’: Progressives pressed for a commitment that President JOE BIDEN’S jobs plan will address not only transportation but climate change, health care and so-called family infrastructure, things like child care and paid leave. Jayapal laid out concerns that those things won’t be possible unless Democrats go the 51-vote reconciliation route, as opposed to trying to cut a deal with Republicans. “We can either go green, or we can go bipartisan, because I just don’t think that Republicans are ready to have a transformative package — and so I said that at the White House,” Jayapal said.

Klain did not say what the plan was. But he indicated to the CPC leaders that the White House is exploring different options, including the possibility of breaking up the jobs package into as many as three bills, according to Jayapal. Some could garner bipartisan support; and some could be done through reconciliation.

“I think they share that commitment to addressing climate in this infrastructure package,” Jayapal said. “Maybe that’s part of the reason they were saying there may be multiple bills.”

In theory, there’d be at least a handful of Republicans who would back a narrower package to pay for new roads and bridges — because they think the country needs it and their constituents want it — but not want to go further. The question is whether the GOP would be willing to cut a deal knowing that another trillion-dollar bill could be next.

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[OnDoutside]

1. Why waste time and effort, to give some Republicans a positive

spin going into the 2022 cycle ? I prefer the narrative that Democrats tried to be bipartisan but Republicans had no interest in helping the American people.

[underpants]

2. Wow I shoulda known it. Flipped over to Fox this morning...

they were on the immigration crisis (of course). During the footage the voiceover said “these are the same facilities” and were very adamant about it. It stood out due to their own emphasis and because I hadn’t heard that before.

When in fact: “ Trump administration’s move to dismantle immigration facilities and infrastructure at the border.”