According to The Washington Post, President Joe Biden now wants a smaller spending plan.
Moderate Democrats have blocked passage of a $3.5 Trillion spending package.
Biden said Tuesday that a package of $1.75-1.9 Trillion could achieve many priorities.
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The Washington Post reported that President Joe Biden suggested that the $3.5 trillion spending plan be reduced to $1.75-$1.9 Trillion in a meeting on Tuesday with progressive Democrats.
According to The Post, Biden said that they could still achieve a majority of their economic agenda using the reduced spending bill. This outline is intended to serve as a mediator between progressives, moderate Democrats, and Sen. Joe Manchin, who has said he would not support the $3.5 trillion plan.
Manchin and Senator Krysten Sinema sought to reduce the bill's cost and have fought with progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders. Manchin, for instance, said in June that he would not support a bill costing more than $2 trillion.
According to sources, The Post has been informed by The Biden Administration that they believe a $1.9 trillion price tag will allow them to achieve several priorities, including expanding medicare and universal prekindergarten as well as billions of dollars towards combating climate change.
The Post reported that the details are still being worked out.
On Tuesday, a number of Democrats said to reporters that they are currently working on a framework to the social-spending bill. However, progressives acknowledged that the package will not reach the $3.5 trillion mark.
CNN reported, for example, that free community college, a key proposal by progressives and the White House, will be removed from the bill along with a scaled back child tax credit that will continue one year. This is much lower than the five year extension Democrats desired.
Biden's comments last week when he admitted Democrats "not going to receive $3.5 trillion" were the first time that he had publicly admitted the need to reduce the price tag in the face resistance from his centrist party.
"I am confident that we will get it done. He said that $3.5 trillion is not possible. "We won't get $3.5 trillion, but we'll get it. And we'll come back to get more."
Although details are still to be released about what cut the bill, Pramila Jayapal (Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair) told reporters that many progressive policies remain intact.
Jayapal stated, "All our priorities"
