Other top Democrats said they were in the dark about the „framework“ of the deal.
Congressional Democrats have agreed on a „framework“ to fund the massive spending package they want passed, Democratic leaders said Thursday, but little else was said about the details, the Associated Press reported. The news about the deal was announced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Officials from the Biden administration and Democratic congressional leaders have been in private talks on the largest spending and tax package since the New Deal, the AP said. The legislation will total roughly $3.5 trillion over 10 years. „We’ve been through this a million times, so there are many, many approaches as to how you can raise money in a fair and progressive way, and raise at least three and a half trillion dollars. If that’s what the menu is, then nothing particularly new, I think,“ Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, said. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. But the party has been divided over the final size and many of the details, and there has been no public word that agreements have been reached on any of those crucial questions. Republicans are solidly opposed to the package, and Democrats will be able to push it through Congress only if they limit their defections to three House members and none in the Senate. The statements by Schumer and Pelosi left unclear whether administration and congressional bargainers had made decisions actually paring down their options for financing the bill, or were simply working off a broad menu of options that had already existed. Also unclear was whether the „framework“ was a step toward resolving the myriad disputes between rank-and-file party moderates and progressives that have slowed work on the legislation, and there was no initial public indication that it had. Underscoring the questions that the leaders‘ announced „framework“ raised, other top Democrats expressed ignorance about it. Asked whether he expected to have the revenue outline shared with him soon, Sander told reporters, „If there is a framework, yes.
