Bipartisan Infrastructure/3.5T Reconciliation/Gov Funding/Debt Ceiling (1 Viewer)

[coldseat]

Thought it would be good to have a place to discuss all the drama on Capitol Hill and whether Democrats will get any of this signed. Given that Republican have abandoned any responsibility of doing anything for the good of country it's on Dems to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. But as with the reconciliation bill, moderates are opposing this.

I'm really trying hard to understand why Manchin and Sinema are making the reconciliation bill process so difficult and how they think that benefits them? As far as I can see, all it's doing is raising the ire of the majority of democrats towards them. It's been well known for a long time now that both the Infrastructure bill and reconciliation bill were tied together. They worked so hard to get and "Bipartisan" Infrastructure bill together (because it was oh so important to them to work together) and passed in the Senate, but now want to slow drag and bulk on the reconciliation bill (by not being able to negotiate with members of their own party)? There by, Putting both bills passage at risk and tanking both the Biden agenda and any hope of winning Congress in 2022? Make it make sense!

I suspect they'll get it done in the end because the implication of failure are really bad. But why make it so dysfunctional?

The drama and diplomacy are set to intensify over the next 24 hours, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) scrambles to keep her fractious, narrow majority intact and send the first of two major economic initiatives to Biden’s desk. In a sign of the stakes, the president even canceled a planned Wednesday trip to Chicago so that he could stay in Washington and attempt to spare his agenda from collapse.
Democrats generally support the infrastructure package, which proposes major new investments in the country’s aging roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections. But the bill has become a critical political bargaining chip for liberal-leaning lawmakers, who have threatened to scuttle it to preserve the breadth of a second, roughly $3.5 trillion economic package.
What is in and out of the bipartisan infrastructure bill?
That latter proposal aims to expand Medicare, invest new sums to combat climate change, offer free prekindergarten and community college to all students and extend new aid to low-income families — all financed through taxes increases on wealthy Americans and corporations. Liberals fear it is likely to be slashed in scope dramatically by moderates, including Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), unless they hold up the infrastructure package the duo helped negotiate — leading to the stalemate that plagues the party on the eve of the House vote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/09/29/biden-pelosi-democrats-infrastructure/

 

[Taurus]

Yes, poor West Virginians often vote Republican and therefore fail to obtain free stuff from the government. Maybe they are proud.

You misspelled "stupid"...or, to be charitable "duped".

 

[Paul]

You misspelled "stupid"...or, to be charitable "duped".

Deplorables are stupid, that is well known. Our tribe is more clever.

 

[J-DONK]

I believe he is acting according to what West Virginians expect of him.

Paid family medical leave is popular in WV though. I think some people need to come to a realization. If you are rich there are few jobs with unique perks such as immunity from insider trading. I think at this point it's clear Joe is a senator because it benefits Joe in some way.

 

[coldseat]

Yes, poor West Virginians often vote Republican and therefore fail to obtain free stuff from the government. Maybe they are proud.

People calling it "free stuff" is part of the problem. None of this is free, it's all paid for through taxes or borrowing (taxes in this case, borrowing when it was the tax cuts). But calling it "free stuff" or "entitlements" makes it into a judgement that the people receiving any benefits from the government are lazy free loaders that just want others to pay for their "stuff". Everybody, even the most poor, pays taxes. And we're all paying for the borrowing too.

What this really is, is a redistribution of a small portion of our economic resources. Our economy and the power in our country is so heavily weighted towards the top income earners and corporations. They benefit the most under both our system of government and our economy. Moreover, they receive a lot of investment, subsidies and support from our government. Some balancing and redistribution of that wealth and power is necessary so that we can have a functioning country, or else the economic divide grows ever wider as does the balance of power and we end up with the kleptocracy we're seeing today.

The sorcery that the Republican party has been able to pull for years is to convince a most of their voters (and independents) that their chosen culture war issue (CRT, Mask, abortion, guns, etc.) are more important that these economic/power issues and how our country is run. And that those culture war issues are why this country is failing (because Democrats are evil) and not the economic/power imbalance.

 

[Paul]

Paid family medical leave is popular in WV though. I think some people need to come to a realization. If you are rich there are few jobs with unique perks such as immunity from insider trading. I think at this point it's clear Joe is a senator because it benefits Joe in some way.

I personally would gain nothing from these bills so I am somewhat detached. However, I believe infrastructure and paid leave are important. However, I would exclude the small mom and pod business, they do not have the cash to pay non-working employees.

Lastly we can turn the USA into Europe as long as everybody shows up for work.

I don't know what is inside Joe or Sinema.

 

[insidejob]

Yes, poor West Virginians often vote Republican and therefore fail to obtain free stuff from the government. Maybe they are proud.

Yeah, those roads and bridges and the other trillions of dollars of "free stuff" that my taxes pay for which I take advantage of every single day...Pretty sure the good people of Appalachia would appreciate bridges, dams, interstates, etc., that aren't only pretty kick arse and super useful but also updated with the most modern technology available. Rapid DNA tests could prevent further inbreeding but the good people of West Virginia will keep marrying their relatives because they vote against their interests.

 

[insidejob]

I personally would gain nothing from these bills so I am somewhat detached. However, I believe infrastructure and paid leave are important. However, I would exclude the small mom and pod business, they do not have the cash to pay non-working employees.

Lastly we can turn the USA into Europe as long as everybody shows up for work.

I don't know what is inside Joe or Sinema.

Every single person who ever walks or drives down the street or flushes the toilet after dropping a deuce will benefit or "gain something" from these bills.

 

[Paul]

Yeah, those roads and bridges and the other trillions of dollars of "free stuff" that my taxes pay for which I take advantage of every single day...Pretty sure the good people of Appalachia would appreciate bridges, dams, interstates, etc., that aren't only pretty kick arse and super useful but also updated with the most modern technology available. Rapid DNA tests could prevent further inbreeding but the good people of West Virginia will keep marrying their relatives because they vote against their interests.

Are you and HRC related? You guys talk the same way.

Seriously, the classism is off the charts. Would you say that if they were black?

 

[CoolBrees]

No, inbreeding and incest in general are (red neck) white people things so he wouldn’t say them about black people because it isn’t true.

The incestors are trying to keep their blood lines pure. Paul approves of this.

 

[coldseat]

This right here is the problem with American voters.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This guy says Critical Race Theory is the most important issue in the Virginia Election. He also says he has no idea what Critical Race Theory is. <a href="https://t.co/lBrGy4lRBG">pic.twitter.com/lBrGy4lRBG</a></p>&mdash; The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) <a href="">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Paul]

No, inbreeding and incest in general are (red neck) white people things so he wouldn’t say them about black people because it isn’t true.

The incestors are trying to keep their blood lines pure. Paul approves of this.

I agree and they all have the Lannister surname.

That is bigotry bro!
And obviously tribalism and hate.

 

[insidejob]

Are you and HRC related? You guys talk the same way.

Seriously, the classism is off the charts. Would you say that if they were black?

The classism isn't off the charts. I've hiked a hell of a lot of the Appalachian Trail between Pennsylvania and North Carolina and also in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts but my favorite place to get off was always in this tiny little section that is the border of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and head into West Virginia to spend a few days with creature comforts. I know those people just like I know those living in the Deep South. The West Virginia mountain people are quite literally proud of their ignorance, stupidity, backwards ways of seeing/doing things because it creates an entire counter-culture where thy can be failures in ordinary American life but are revered and celebrated and even honored depending on their importance to the family. They're backwoods mafia people who you obviously know nothing about.

And, yes, I would say this if they were black, white, yellow or blue. I don't talk shirt about anyone that I don't have shirt to talk about.

 

[insidejob]

This right here is the problem with American voters.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This guy says Critical Race Theory is the most important issue in the Virginia Election. He also says he has no idea what Critical Race Theory is. <a href="https://t.co/lBrGy4lRBG">pic.twitter.com/lBrGy4lRBG</a></p>&mdash; The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) <a href="">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I don't have that much knowledge on it but it's something that I just don't care for.

 

[Paul]

The classism isn't off the charts. I've hiked a hell of a lot of the Appalachian Trail between Pennsylvania and North Carolina and also in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts but my favorite place to get off was always in this tiny little section that is the border of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and head into West Virginia to spend a few days with creature comforts. I know those people just like I know those living in the Deep South. The West Virginia mountain people are quite literally proud of their ignorance, stupidity, backwards ways of seeing/doing things because it creates an entire counter-culture where thy can be failures in ordinary American life but are revered and celebrated and even honored depending on their importance to the family. They're backwoods mafia people who you0 obviously know nothing about.

And, yes, I would say this if they were black, white, yellow or blue. I don't talk shirt about anyone that I don't have shirt to talk about.

I have seen them, but you certainly use highly insulting remarks.

What do you have to say about the poor people in inner city Baltimore. The ones that are not likely to graduate from high school and will likely die before age 24 by a bullet. How do you describe them? Have you been there?

What do you have to say about Skid Row in LA?

 

[bird]

Deplorables are stupid, that is well known. Our tribe is more clever.

You owe me a keyboard for that one. Clever isn't the same as smart.

 

[Paul]

You owe me a keyboard for that one. Clever isn't the same as smart.

Tribalism is never smart.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Article on socialism bogeyman
========================
President Biden’s Build Back Better Act started off at $3.5 trillion. Now it’s at $1.75 trillion and no longer includes provisions for guaranteed family leave or lower prescription drug prices. That’s still a lot of money.

But since the total cost is calculated over 10 years, the annual bill will be only $175 billion — or less than 3 percent of the federal budget — and it will be largely or entirely paid for by tax increases. (A bipartisan infrastructure bill will add another $120 billion a year.)

That seems pretty fiscally responsible compared with former president Donald Trump’s record of adding $7.8 trillion to the national debt.


Republicans know that the individual provisions of the Build Back Better bill, such as pre-K programs, a child tax credit and clean energy, are popular. They also know that most voters don’t seem to much care about deficits.

But Republicans still feel compelled to oppose major Democratic legislation, regardless of the merits. So to pillory this bill they fall back on the dreaded s-word.


House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) calls it a “socialist spending bill.” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweets: “A $1.75 trillion #BuildBackSocialist plan is just as socialist as a $3.5 trillion one.” (Note how he squeezed two s-words into one short sentence!)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) harrumphs: “The American people didn’t vote for a massive socialist transformation.” Sometimes they even use the m-word: Marxism.


The s-word has become an all-purpose epithet that Republicans use to describe everything from an influx of undocumented immigrants to the supposed teaching of critical race theory to vaccine mandates.

Somehow, however, Republican spending bills or tax hikes are never socialist — only Democratic ones……..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/02/here-we-go-again-90-years-republicans-have-been-crying-wolf-about-democratic-socialism/

 

[Paul]

So it’s going to cost us less than 25% of what we spend on defense.

They love to compare the government budget to personal finances, so...

Would anyone spend 400,000 dollars for a security system to protect their 100,000 dollar home?

Good post Sam!