Joe Biden, apparently showing that his desire for a bipartisan infrastructure bill is genuine, has proposed a huge compromise that not only cuts new spending in half, but does it without raising the corporate tax rate:
President Biden signaled at a private meeting on Wednesday that he would be open to significant revisions on the size of his infrastructure package and how it would be paid for in order win Republican backing, outlining a plan for about $1 trillion in new spending financed through tax changes that do not appear to raise the top corporate rate.
....At issue is the component of Biden’s original infrastructure plan that would raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent....In its place, Biden emphasized a different part of his proposal, which would amount to a new, minimum corporate tax of 15 percent.
Biden has cut the total amount of his proposal by more than half, and plans to finance it solely with a minimum tax rate on large corporations. He is, basically, calling Republicans' bluff. This is about as big a compromise as any minority party could reasonably expect.
Will ten or a dozen Republicans sign up, so that this can pass via regular order? Or will Mitch McConnell, as yet another "personal favor," lobby his fellow Republicans to deny Biden anything that might be interpreted as a bipartisan victory?
I'd guess the latter, of course, but I'm a cynic. We should know shortly.
Biden Offers Huge Compromise on Infrastructure. Will Republicans Take It?
No. This has been another simple answer to a silly question.
to re-phrase-- will this be enough to convince Manchin to abandon trying to work with the Republicans in DC?
The minimum 15% corporate tax might raise *more* money than raising the corporate tax rate, don't you think? This feels like Biden's team is forcing the GOP into an indefensible corner. I can't imagine the GOP finding ways to defend corporations that don't pay any federal corporate taxes, do you? How do they defend Amazon's right to avoid taxes when their Dear Leader, Trump, complains regularly about Amazon and Bezos?
There is no such thing as an indefensible corner for the Republicans. They will simply lie, deny everything they said previously, call Democrats names, then shout about some new outrage like Biden banning meat or critical race theory.
The press/media will enthusiastically promote whatever bullshit the Republicans give them.
“I can't imagine the GOP finding ways to defend corporations that don't pay any federal corporate taxes, do you?”
When confronted with evidence that Trump, himself and his organization, pay little to no taxes for years, most of the GOP said that made him smart for finding ways - legally or questionably - to get out of paying taxes. Everyone else was a sucker for actually paying their share towards keeping government running. I see no reason why they won’t say the same for corporations, who as we all know are “job creators” and thus must be allowed to do whatever they want if we want them to shower us with some of their wealth.
You’re right, defending corporate tax evaders is indefensible, so the GOP is going to be on a desperate squirrel hunt. I like Biden’s strategy. He didn’t waste those four decades in Washington.
That depends on what happens next. If the Republicans say "yes", then it's a victory of sorts for Biden's vision of bipartisanship and perhaps something to build upon leading up to the midterms.
But if they say "no" (as most of us expect), then the ball is in the court of the Democrats and their response will determine the party's fate and perhaps the fate of the republic, too. If the response to the rejection is for Manchin and the other centrists to shift positions and favor the original plan, then the Democrats will have demonstrated something very powerful and will be able to overcome Republican obstruction and get enough done to survive the midterms and perhaps be well positioned for 2024.
On the other hand, if Biden can't pass his original proposal because of the Manchin faction's intransigence, then his presidency will be reduced to small-ball administrative actions and perhaps a handful of very conservative proposals which will please the MAGA crowd. But, for all intents and purposes, the Biden presidency and the Democratic Party will be finished.
Manchins faction, isn't issue as much this time.
Bipartisanship is a chimera when it comes to Republicans. I think Biden understands that. He has to go through the motions. Because when a toddler is throwing tantrums the grownup cannot afford to imitate him/her.
I would also bet on McConnell to block this; but unlike virtually everything else Mitch McConnell does, it would be a good thing for the country if he did. A bill that has to satisfy Joe Manchin and Elizabeth MacDonough is almost certainly better than one which has to satisfy 10 (!) Republican Senators. And it adds another bit of pressure to reform if not outright abolish the filibuster.
Basically it's 1.1 trillion that was part of his original bill without all the frivolous spending. Adding 200 billion from the tech bill you get 1.3 trillion, or Obama's long lost American reinvestment act.
Fuck off troll.
Your mad right????
Of course Republicans will find an excuse to reject this. The only thing they exist to do now is troll the libs, not govern. I think this is aimed at finally convincing Manchin that he needs to fish or cut bait -- he can continue to peddle his kumbaya, bipartisanship nonsense and keep enabling Republican obstructionism, or he can do something for his constituents in WV who, he might have noticed, don't always have the greatest infrastructure and could sure use some good jobs.
Owing the libs is vastly more important to too many West Virginians than having good jobs, healthcare or a high quality of life for themselves or their children. I'm afraid that's what it's come to in large swaths of the country.
Agreed; and, really, that level of hatred is so amazing it should be studied anthropologically.
Will ten or a dozen Republicans sign up, so that this can pass via regular order?
HAhahahahahaha! HAAAhahahahaha! Ahaha. Aha. Ahaha. HAAAhahahahahaha! Ahahaha. Ahaha. Oh my. Hahaha. Stop! Please, just stop -- yer killing me..!
Being able to pass it in regular order and saving the special vehicle for something else is not nothing, not at all.
This does appear to put a lot of pressure on Republicans. I'll bet this gets Manchin on board, whichever way it goes.
True, but remember, there can be at least THREE "special vehicles" THIS year alone, so that's likely not much of a constraint.
Manchin needs to be whipped into line.
Whipped into line? Unfortunately, this ain't 1957 and, even if it was, Chuck Schumer ain't Lyndon Johnson. Nor is Joe Biden for that matter. All that can be done is appeal to Manchin's sense of right and wrong or personal political interest. IOW, don't hold your breath.
By "whipped" I mean, in the legislative sense. And the way to do that is precisely as you say, to appeal to his personal political interest (after suitable flattery and kabuki and so on, of course).
I just hope he's not completely out of his depth.
True, but remember, there can be at least THREE "special vehicles" THIS year alone, so that's likely not much of a constraint.
The other day Twitter was saying a new parliamentary ruling had undercut the previous one, and now it's questionable whether more than one reconciliation bill will be allowed (maybe that's just until October 1st?). Haven't heard anything further, though.
This is about as big a compromise as any minority party could reasonably expect.
I highlighted the problem for you.
This is possibly a move to give Manchin and Sinema cover to (at least) modify the filibuster. I'm not hopeful that it will work, but I'd welcome a happy surprise.
The "cover" theory may be right, but I think it's too much to hope the end game is filibuster reform. The intended "cover" is surely just their support for a reconciliation bill.
(I would like to think the filibuster could be reformed for a voting rights bill if things really get egregious, but I'm not holding my breath, and in any event this course of action would have to mean Manchinema actually cares about the fate of democratic governance in America, and it's not at all clear they do care about this, or believe it's imperiled).
We're precisely on the same page, Jasper.
+1
I'm really clinging to hopes this is all a kabuki dance designed to give Manhinema cover, because I'd personally prefer a larger, more purely Democratic bill. Is there a scintilla of evidence an inferior, weaker bill will help the country (and Democrats) more than a stronger, larger bill simply because members of two different parties voted for it?
I'd guess the latter, of course, but I'm a cynic.
Right here is where I invoke the wisdom of Ms. Tomlin.
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American politics has descended into farcical comedy. I'm saddened to see a democratic president carrying out this low class theatrical performance in order to get a few buffoons from his own party to assume the responsibilities of their tenure as senators, just in order to get desperately needed work done for the people they allegedly serve.