A despairing forecast for the midterm elections has panicky House Democrats focused on passing some sort of social spending and climate legislation, The Hill reported.
The House approved President Joe Biden's $2.2 trillion Build Back Better in November, but the package stalled in the Senate after moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he could not support it amid huge national debt and rising inflation.
Now, as Biden's approval rating continues to fall, Democrats facing tough reelections want a legislative victory to tout, The Hill reported.
Progressives eager to pass social benefits and tackle climate change worry that this year will be their best chance, as current polls show Republicans in good position to reclaim control of Congress.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., addressed her caucus last week and told members that the social spending bill remained a priority in 2022.
"It is essential that we build back better," Pelosi told reporters, The Hill said. "We have the makings of it in the legislation, and I think there's an agreement to be made."
House Democrat caucus members appear to agree that Biden's massive social spending legislation and climate legislation needs to be scaled back, The Hill said.
"I don't care if you call it 'The Joe Manchin Bill.' I just want it passed," said one Democrat lawmaker, obviously aware that the senator has endorsed certain major components of the bill.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said she’s hopeful the final product includes "as many of those policies and investments as possible."
"I believe there remains an opportunity to do that, and I am eager to pursue any and all viable avenues," Escobar told The Hill.
Some progressives, though, already were upset that the Build Back Better was reduced to $2.2 trillion.
Manchin has supported large sections of the House package, including universal early education, an Obamacare expansion, billions of dollars for climate programs and a provision empowering Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of seniors, The Hill reported.
That has given hope to some lawmakers that a bill ultimately will be passed.
"You’re right that it's dead; the most recent version of it is not going to happen," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Sunday on CBS.
"But … I still believe we're going to find a core of this bill — whatever we call it — we're going to find the core of the bill and pass it, and it will deal directly with some of these inflation concerns."
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