The House Majority Whip told MSNBC that he had « questioned » if the proposed $3.5 trillion bill could be paid for.
Representative Jim Clyburn has said that Democrats are « close to finding the sweet spot » on the cost of the Build Back Better Act amid ongoing debate within the party. Clyburn, who serves as House Majority Whip, told MSNBC ‘s Craig Melvin on Friday that he had previously questioned if the proposed $3.5 trillion infrastructure and social spending bill could be paid for. Progressive Democrats have been in conflict with moderates and in particular Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) over the provisions of the 10-year bill. Melvin asked Clyburn about potential cuts to the Build Back Better Act and what he would not be willing to remove. « There’s nothing that I don’t think can’t be cut, » Clyburn said. Clyburn discussed the 10-year timeline of the bill and said some things needed to be done now. Melvin asked about previous proposals that would have seen $6 trillion in spending on so-called « human infrastructure » and asked Clyburn about the gradual decline in that figure to what may end up being around $2 trillion.
