The fight over President Biden\u2019s Build Back Better social-spending bill has only just begun.
\nAfter months of wrangling, the $2 trillion budget-buster passed \u2026<\/b>
\nThe fight over President Biden\u2019s Build Back Better social-spending bill has only just begun. After months of wrangling, the $2 trillion budget-buster passed the House Friday on a slim 220-213 vote. But in the Senate, Democrats are bracing for a bruising battle over a bill that some members of the party have hailed as a 21st-century New Deal that will spend billions on education, the environment, housing, and health care. \u201cThe House bill will most likely take a haircut in the Senate,\u201d a Capitol Hill insider told The Post. \u201cNegotiations are now laser focused, with members discussing the things they want, the things they want to tweak, and those things they just want out.\u201d Democrats are expecting to go it alone in the evenly divided 50-50 Senate, the insider said, as the GOP stands solidly opposed. \u201cNot a single Republican will vote for this bill,\u201d Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House minority whip, told Fox News Saturday. Normally, bills need 60 votes to overcome the Senate\u2019s filibuster rule that ends debate on a measure. With no support from the GOP, Schumer will have to rely on a process known as reconciliation, a special exception for budget-related legislation that permits passage with a simple Senate majority. But the strict rules of the reconciliation process mean that the House\u2019s version of Build Back Better will be coming in for major changes. Reconciliation can only be used on bills that are budget-neutral \u2014 that is, will not increase the federal deficit over a ten-year period. That\u2019s why Build Back Better includes $80 billion for heavier enforcement by the IRS \u2014 and why the Congressional Budget Office\u2019s conclusion that it will add $367 billion to the debt will force the Senate to do a major editing job. Likely on the chopping block: the steep increase in the state and local taxes (SALT) cap, allowing wealthy taxpayers to deduct more from their federal returns \u2014 at an estimated cost of $285 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget \u2014 along with paid family leave and universal preschool. Moreover, the Senate\u2019s \u201cByrd rule\u201d means that no \u201cextraneous matter\u201d is permitted in a bill that passes under reconciliation rules: only spending and revenue items are allowed. That could remove some of the House\u2019s most cherished provisions \u2014 like an immigration overhaul that would grant a 10-year parole to millions of illegal immigrants. The Senate parliamentarian will ultimately decide which parts of the House\u2019s bill can remain. The debate will take weeks, with all of Congress now back home for a week-long Thanksgiving break. \u201cChristmas might be the 5-yard line,\u201d the insider predicted, with a final vote by New Year\u2019s Eve. \u201cIt\u2019s the Waterford ball or bust,\u201d he said. Climate programs: up to $570 billion in tax credits and spending, including $144 billion for renewable electricity, $7.5 billion for electric-vehicle charging stations, and a $7,500 credit for electric motorcycles Child care: $382 billion for a new child-care entitlement program plus universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds Paid leave: $206 billion for four annual weeks of federally funded family and sick leave Child tax credit: $203 billion for a one-year extension of $250-per-child checks for most families Home health care: $150 billion for in-home caregivers Medicaid and other health care: $165 billion for Obamacare subsidies, hearing benefits, and caps on drug costs Housing: $148 billion for public housing, rental assistance, and new tax credits Education: $39.8 billion for Pell grants, funding for minority-serving colleges, and grants for illegal immigrants Tax enforcement: $80 billion to expand the IRS and hire 80,000 new agents Corporate taxes: $814 billion Individual taxes: $655 billion on those earning $10 million or more Free community college Medicare dental and vision coverage<\/p>\n