Biden delayed his departure for a series of meetings in Europe to rally his party behind the $1.75 trillion outline, scaled back from a previous $3.5 trillion proposal. Even as Democrats welcomed it as a break in the months-long stalemate over the president’s agenda, some angled to jam back in priorities such as family leave that were left out.
The president told House Democrats that his future, and theirs, depends on translating the framework into agreed legislative text and getting it passed.
“I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the House and Senate majorities and my presidency will be determined by what happens in the next week,” Biden told House Democrats during a private meeting at the Capitol, according to three people in the room.
As Biden left for his European summit meetings, House Democrats released a rough draft of legislation to enact the plan, but then adjourned until next week. It likely will take days or even weeks before legislation is ready for a vote.
Progressives in the House largely embraced Biden’s $1.75 trillion tax and spending plan but continue to hold up the other piece of his economic agenda — a $550 billion infrastructure bill — until both bills are ready for a vote. Bloomberg