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How Much Infrastructure Will Democrats Support?

Even if Senate Republicans come up with an infrastructure bill that can get ten votes from their side of the aisle, it's almost certain that President Biden will decide he can do better using reconciliation and counting solely on Democratic votes.

So what's the most aggressive bill that will win the support of every single Senate Democrat and all but five House Democrats? Maybe a trillion dollars? More? Whatever the number, at this point it's purely a matter of what Democrats are willing to support.

We should know before very much longer.

17 thoughts on “How Much Infrastructure Will Democrats Support?

  1. Jasper_in_Boston

    Do we actually know Manchin will support a non-bipartisan bill at this point? That seems far from clear. Maybe if progressives demonize him some more he’ll come around.

    1. sonofthereturnofaptidude

      Manchin will come around -- or not -- for the usual reasons that senators come around: Power and wealth. I'm sure the vilification of adulation of progressives means little to nothing to a man like Manchin, who has been a major figure in WV politics for at least twenty years.

  2. Jasper_in_Boston

    Even if Senate Republicans come up with an infrastructure bill that can get ten votes from their side of the aisle, it's almost certain that President Biden will decide he can do better using reconciliation and counting solely on Democratic votes.

    One bit of theorizing I remembering reading about was the possibility that Democrats might try A) getting a bipartisan bill done by regular order and then, B) throwing everything they couldn't get done in "A" into a second, reconciliation bill. Not sure how realistic that is.

    You'd think, though, that if Manchin really were interested in maximizing his reelection prospects, he'd be inclined to vote for big(gish) new spending measures, because anybody with a "D" next to their name on the ballot is going to be helped by a strong economy. I believe the political cost/benefit analysis has to shake out differently in his mind than voting rights, DC statehood or other reform measures. In other words, economic deliverables!

    But who knows?

    1. HokieAnnie

      Yeabut what if the GOP decides to agree at first on the bill and at the last minute the ten votes disappear? I could see that happening.

      1. Jasper_in_Boston

        I doubt ten GOP senators will cross McConnell for any kind of bill to bolster spending over the remainder of Biden's term. The anti-China bill was, well, an anti-China bill.

        1. HokieAnnie

          You misunderstand what I was getting at. I'm thinking that they will get ten GOP senators to agree to a bill but at the last moment McConnell will create some sort of fake controversy where he brokenheartedly tsk, tsks whatever imagined sin the Democrats have committed and withdraw support for the bill, pressuring the ten GOP senators to do so as well.

          1. Jasper_in_Boston

            I understood you. And what I'm saying is, no matter the exact circumstances (a last minute spectacle for the village idiots or not) the Republicans ultimately won't provide votes for cloture And so it'll be a reconciliation bill. Mitch McConnell won't help enact things that might help the Democratic brand (except in the rarest of circumstances, ie, foreign policy), because in his view anything that helps Democrats hurts movement conservatism. Mitch's world is entirely zero sum.

          2. ScentOfViolets

            People like Trump and McConnell in particular and Republican congress critters in general cannot create; they can only destroy. Of course everything is zero sum with them ... at best.

    2. DFPaul

      Yes, Manchin has generally voted with the Dems on "pocketbook" stuff. For instance, he voted against the Trump tax cuts. I'm sure he will come around one way or another on infrastructure. As will, I would guess, a handful of Republicans who view themselves as vulnerable.

  3. Vog46

    Bernie just ended the discussion about bipartisanship
    Came out last night AGAINST the bipartisan infrastructure deal
    https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/558394-sanders-wont-vote-for-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal

    That means DEMs will have to get 11 Republican votes for it - if NOT MORE

    I am a firm believer that we have pilloried Manchin and "Curtsy Kyrsten" but I had a suspicion that other DEMs were against ending the filibuster etc.......... but Joe M and KS bore the brunt of the criticism

      1. Vog46

        Now there's more
        Merkley of OR and Markey of Mass are both against it too

        Manching and Sinema are not the bogeymen here folks
        I live in NC
        I'd take Sinema and Manchin as my U.S. senators any day over Burr and Tillis

  4. golack

    Just declare it will magically pay for itself, then spend whatever you want.

    OK, their is still a difference between doing that for Democrat's plan vs. the Republican's, ummm, plan(?).
    The Republican tax cuts always blow holes in the deficit and never pay for themselves. Giving more money to those who have too much to use anyway really isn't going to increase economic activity. The Democrat's plan will actually help the economy to grow faster--so there is a valid argument for it generating revenue down the line.

  5. Loxley

    Mitch McConnell, well known Traitor to the Constitution, has just announced that he will once again violate his oath of office and obstruct a sitting Democrat President in the performance of his Duty, given the opportunity...

    The next person to mention the word "bipartisanship" should be keel-hauled.

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