Democrats are determined to avoid a deficit financed infrastructure bill

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON (AP) — What will it cost to enact President Joe Biden’s massive expansion of social programs?

Congress has authorized spending up to $3.5 trillion over a decade, but Biden is prodding Democrats to fully cover the cost of the legislation — by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy, negotiating the price of prescription drugs and dialing up other sources of federal revenue such as increased IRS funding.

The idea is that entire package should pay for itself.

Defending a bill not yet fully drafted, Democrats are determined to avoid a deficit financed spending spree. They are growing frustrated by the focus on the proposed $3.5 trillion spending total, arguing far too little attention is being paid to the work they are doing to balance the books. Biden on Friday said he would prefer the price tag described as “zero.”

“We pay for everything we spend,” Biden said at the White House. “It’s going to be zero. Zero.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/whats-the-price-of-bidens-plan-democrats-drive-for-zero/ar-AAOPTWA

[PoliticAverse]

1. "Defending a bill not yet fully drafted" - it was just approved by the budget committee...

and sent to the House floor...

See: https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2805288

The House Budget Committee voted Saturday to pass the $3.5 trillion spending bill out of committee and send it to the House floor.

The vote was 20 to 17 with Democratic Rep. Scott Peters of California joining Republicans to vote against the bill. It came as a necessary step for the bill to reach the full House floor, where it can be amended.

Also "infrastructure bill" is what the bi-partisan $ 1 trillion bill is being called. The $ 3.5 trillion reconcillation bill is the "Build Back Better Act" and as this article indicates is mostly "social programs".

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. They're both infrastructure bills

The bipartisan bill is for “hard” infrastructure, while the reconciliation bill contains “soft” infrastructure spending, but also spending on changes to energy generation to address climate change.

If you don’t think child care and job training are part of the nation’s infrastructure, you’ve accepted the Republican framing of the legislation.

[PoliticAverse]

5. Everyone has been calling the bi-partisan bill "the infrastructure bill", even Nancy Pelosi...

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/09/26/pelosi-vows-pass-infrastructure-eyes-smaller-social-bill/5878480001/

I don't really care what Republicans do or don't call things.

[House of Roberts]

2. Better to be the 'tax and spend' party,

than the 'borrow and blow' party.

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. So far, current revenue and savings proposals cover $2.9 trillion, over 80% of the total cost

I think they’ll be able to cover the final amount in the bill, whatever it ends up being.