Joe Biden (Joe Biden) faces the Democratic Party’s tug of war over infrastructure

Joe Biden is facing increasing pressure as the President of the United States negotiates the two sides of his Democratic Party $2.3tn infrastructure facilitiesBetween the moderates who wanted him to reach an agreement with the Republican Party and the progressives who urged him to leave the negotiating table.

The tug-of-war between Democrats on Capitol Hill may cause trouble for Biden, because Biden may soon have to make a decision that satisfies one of his political foundations, but makes the other party to the core elements of his economic agenda. Disappointed decision.

Biden initially proposed an ambitious $2.3tn infrastructure package, mainly funded by raising the corporate tax rate-and then last week, after several rounds of negotiations with Republicans, he lowered the target to $1.7tn. The Republican Party initially proposed a $568 billion plan, but gradually increased its acceptable level of spending.On Thursday, Republican lawmakers led by Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia A new offer was made and the value was only slightly less than $1tn.

There is still a big gap between the two sides-including the fact that Republicans still exist Oppose any tax increase Funding the program, and compared with Democrats, has a much narrower view of what should be classified as infrastructure spending. Republican senators said Thursday that their $928 billion offer will be mainly funded by the repositioned Covid rescue fund.

Biden told reporters on Thursday that he had already spoken to Capito and will meet with Republican negotiators next week. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that while the latest counter-proposal is “encouraging,” Democrats “still have concerns” about the scale of the plan and how the Republicans intend to pay for it. .

Many Democrats, including progressives, are urging Biden to abandon negotiations with the Republican Party and move quickly to pass the White House plan through the minority members of Capitol Hill.

Senator Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, said on Twitter this week: “I fully support bipartisan cooperation, but if the Republican Party is not a serious partner, we must be without them.” “We need to be clean. Energy, affordable broadband and housing, good roads and good jobs can be competitive in the 21st century.”

Merkley has joined forces with left-wing Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to call on Biden to quickly step into another important economic agenda item for the president, which is a $180 million society Expenditure plan, after-tax payment, which shows that the left wing is increasing in turmoil on the rich. They wrote: “This kind of human infrastructure cannot decline after physical infrastructure needs or under the obstructionism of the Republican Party,”.

The Progressive Sunrise Movement responded to the latest Republican proposal on Thursday, calling on Democrats to “use the power granted to them by voters to do things with or without the Republican Party.”

However, the moderate Democrats continued their efforts to reach an agreement with the Republican Party, which offset the push from the left.

Delaware Democratic Senator and Biden ally Tom Carper told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday: “I think we might want to discuss this more… I am not particularly prepared to say how long, but A little more.”

Joe ManchinThe most conservative Democrat in the Senate, splitting the support of the House of Lords between Democrats and Republicans at a ratio of 50 to 50 is considered crucial, and he also made similar arguments. This week he participated in negotiations with Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney, Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins (Susan Collins) and a small group of bipartisan lawmakers to seek alternatives.

Romney said: “We have eight people, four Democrats and four Republicans, gathered together to discuss how much we will spend and the price we will pay.” “But we are burning for the second time… The first is Shelley Moore Capito (Shelley Moore Capito) and the White House negotiations, if it does not proceed, our work will only arouse people’s interest.”

The president has served in the upper house of Congress for more than three decades, and his campaign has reached a record of crossing political channels. He has long stated that he wants to reach a bipartisan agreement instead of promoting tax and spending plans and only use the Senate budget process with Democratic support. reconciliation”.

But Biden and his team also learned a bitter lesson from Barack Obama’s presidency, when the healthcare reform law they signed was stalled for weeks in an attempt to negotiate an agreement with Republicans. Over time, the plan became less and less popular, and resistance to the plan increased on Capitol Hill and across the country.

However, even though progressive Democrats quickly lost patience, the moderates are still satisfied with the long dialogue.

At the “Financial Times” event on Tuesday, Manchin stated that he hopes there will be an “open and fair” procedure that includes politicians on both sides, and suggested that he is willing to wait a few months until next year.

The West Virginia senator said: “We have this Congress, the 117th Congress.” He was referring to this two-year legislative session, which will end next year. “I certainly hope to complete this work before the end of the 117th Congress.”

At the same time, Republicans said they have more confidence in Manchin and other moderate Democrats, and they are more willing to cut spending than larger infrastructure facilities.

“[The White House’s] Republican Senator Roy Blunt from Missouri told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday. “My guess is that it’s easier to get 15 or 20 or more Republicans… On a real infrastructure package, the last three Democrats can contain anything.”