dan_bgblue
10-21-2021, 04:57 PM
Democrats in Washington remain divided over the scope of President Biden’s expansive domestic policy agenda. But their voters—both moderates and progressives—have largely rallied around the push to increase government spending and say they worry lawmakers will fail to come to an agreement.
Negotiations gained momentum this week after Mr. Biden in meetings with Democratic lawmakers identified programs that would likely be cut or shortened in the final bill to trim costs. Party leaders said they could have a framework for a deal by week’s end, though many major provisions—and how to pay for them—remain under discussion.
Several recent polls, bolstered by interviews with more than 50 Democratic voters across six swing states in recent weeks, indicate broad party support for legislation to expand social safety net programs and pass measures aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.
Democratic leaders have proposed paying for well over a trillion dollars in expanded government services, in part, by higher taxes. Top Democrats acknowledge that would have been considered too liberal a few years ago but say that it now has broad party support. At least one Democrat in the Senate has voiced opposition to the idea.
Most of the Democratic voters interviewed said they believed that if their elected leaders didn’t act on the most ambitious legislation possible, the party risked losing congressional seats in next year’s midterm elections and the White House in 2024.
A CNN poll released last week found that 75% of Democrats preferred a bill that included all of the social safety net and climate-change provisions proposed by Mr. Biden. Another 20% of respondents backed a scaled-back bill that costs less. A Pew Research Center poll released in late September similarly found that among those who identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, 75% said they favored Mr. Biden’s initial $3.5 trillion package.
Continues at the Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/articles/democratic-voters-want-bidens-big-spending-dealand-theyre-getting-impatient-11634825084?mod=hp_lead_pos5)
Negotiations gained momentum this week after Mr. Biden in meetings with Democratic lawmakers identified programs that would likely be cut or shortened in the final bill to trim costs. Party leaders said they could have a framework for a deal by week’s end, though many major provisions—and how to pay for them—remain under discussion.
Several recent polls, bolstered by interviews with more than 50 Democratic voters across six swing states in recent weeks, indicate broad party support for legislation to expand social safety net programs and pass measures aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.
Democratic leaders have proposed paying for well over a trillion dollars in expanded government services, in part, by higher taxes. Top Democrats acknowledge that would have been considered too liberal a few years ago but say that it now has broad party support. At least one Democrat in the Senate has voiced opposition to the idea.
Most of the Democratic voters interviewed said they believed that if their elected leaders didn’t act on the most ambitious legislation possible, the party risked losing congressional seats in next year’s midterm elections and the White House in 2024.
A CNN poll released last week found that 75% of Democrats preferred a bill that included all of the social safety net and climate-change provisions proposed by Mr. Biden. Another 20% of respondents backed a scaled-back bill that costs less. A Pew Research Center poll released in late September similarly found that among those who identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, 75% said they favored Mr. Biden’s initial $3.5 trillion package.
Continues at the Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/articles/democratic-voters-want-bidens-big-spending-dealand-theyre-getting-impatient-11634825084?mod=hp_lead_pos5)