The 13 renegade (13 total stretched out over months, it is hard to gauge what all 13 will do) House centrists, moderates, and conservative Blue Dog/Problem Solver types (plus Manchin and Sinema in the Senate) are demanding that the CBO scoring (which is due to be published this Friday, November 19th) match the Biden claim that the BBB pays for itself.
Preliminary individual releases, plus a claim on MoJo by the pretty reliably sussed-in Axios, would tend to say that it will not match, that it will add to the debt.
Gottheimer (the Problem Solver ringleader) said this a week or so ago:
Gottheimer Won’t Commit To Backing BBB If CBO Score Doesn’t Match WH Analysis
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gottheimer-not-commit-support-build-back-better-cbo-score
sooooo, if the CBO comes back with bad numbers, expect the shit to hit the fan again (and expect the BBB to get gutted even more)
The rank hypocrisy of the 15 centrists/conservatives is that almost half of the new spend (of the $550 billion, $256 billion is unpaid for) in their beloved BIF is NOT paid for.
Plus, so far, they have, between the 2 versions (House and Senate), ripped out out over $2 trillion in funding mechanisms and/or given giant tax breaks back (mostly to the wealthiest Americans and the giant corporations)
That $2 trillion in ripped out funding and tax breaks for the rich and for the powerful firms is more than the entire present topline number ($1.75 trillion) for the whole BBB. You know, the one they now have this incredible concern for 'fiscal responsibly' about.
And people wonder why many in Congress do not trust Manchin, Sinema, and the Problem Solver/Blue Dogs.
IF that CBO shows a number (for added debt) over what the BIF added, there is likely going to be an all-out brawl. Regardless of the meaningless six protest votes that did nothing to stop the BIF, the progressives have compromised, and compromised for ages. 90 of the 96 voted to pass BIF, and if zero Rethugs have voted yes, 3 of those prog No votes (maybe all 6) would have flipped to Yes in order to pass it.
The progs have compromised (dollar-wise) 30.8 times MORE than Manchin and Sinema have. They have come down $7.7 trillion between the two bills, whilst Manchinema have (and this is only as of now, it could easily be nothing or even another slashing) moved up only $250 billion (and only moved up (and even that is in a technical sense) on the BBB, they gutted the BIF by almost 80% new spend wise).
I can possibly see, if the CBO numbers are bad, Manchin further gutting the BBB, down to $1.25 trillion or even his original 'claim' of $1 trillion, and saying 'That is it, it is $1.25 (or even $1) trillion, take it or leave it, AND keep pushing it AND pushing ME, and I scuttle the whole thing.'
Let's hope that the BBB is adjudged to be all paid for by the CBO.
IF it does, then further appeals to austerity/fiscal responsibility and/or further demands for significant gutting and/or blockage from the so-called centrists and moderates TRULY confirm, to a level no one can argue in good faith, that they ALWAYS were wreckers and blockers of the Biden Agenda, all attempts to deny it aside.
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