Rather unexpectedly, the 117th Congress is shaping up to be one of the most productive in recent memory. A new compromise reached by Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could prove to be its most significant achievement yet.
After months of often-acrimonious debate over President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, Democrats have apparently ditched the sobriquet in favor of the substance. The new deal, intended to be passed along party lines in accordance with the Senate’s budget-reconciliation rules, would accomplish nearly all of the most important goals of Biden’s initial proposal without its most controversial baggage. It would offer some $433 billion in new spending, bring in $739 billion in revenue and reduce deficits by $300 billion over a decade.
