“We’ll work on it, I believe, probably up until Christmas,” said Senator Tim Kaine.
Senate Democrats have expressed confidence in their leaders’ ability to rally the party behind President Joe Biden ‘s social spending bill by the end of the year. The Democratic-controlled House passed $1.7 trillion in new funding to expand the U.S. social safety net, known as the Build Back Better Act, on Friday, which includes climate initiatives, child care funding, university pre-K, and extension of health care subsidies. The legislation is key to Biden’s domestic agenda and Democrats must now navigate a 50-50 split Senate with no room for error. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set a benchmark for his caucus to pass the bill before Christmas, saying the chamber will consider the bill “as soon as the necessary technical and procedural work with the Senate parliamentarian has been completed.” Senator Tim Kaine expects the bill will pass next month.
