Democrats present their 3.5 billion social plan to citizenship in the Senate for millions of migrants

Senate Democrats released a budget resolution Monday that allocates $ 3.5 trillion to strengthen social, medical and environmental programs, and also grants legal status to millions of immigrants living in the United States illegally.

The plan instructs the Judiciary Committee to, with a $ 107 billion endowment,

open a path to permanent residence (and subsequently citizenship) for "qualified immigrants

,

"

without thus explaining the scope of a measure that Democrats They believe it can benefit insurance dreamers and perhaps also farm workers and essential employees during the pandemic.

The move sets the stage for legislation to pass this year that would invest mountains of federal resources in President Joe Biden's top priorities.

More money

would be included

for health care, education, family services and environmental programs and tax breaks for families

, and much of those funds would be paid for with tax increases for the wealthiest and large corporations.

Biden Infrastructure Plan Agreement Opens Broader Dialogue With Republicans

June 25, 202101: 55

"In essence, this legislation is about restoring the middle class in the 21st century and giving more Americans the opportunity to get there," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said in a letter to his colleagues. colleagues in which he unveiled the plan.

The resolution calls for the creation of

free kindergartens

for children aged three and four, and two years of

 free

community college

;

expanding tax benefits for children and for some low-income workers;

and the establishment of

paid family and sick leave.

Medicare

coverage

would be expanded to cover dental, hearing and vision benefits.

And support for housing, home health care and job training would be strengthened, as well as fostering a faster transition to clean energy.

[Senate presents text of bipartisan infrastructure package]

To pay for the plans, taxes would be raised for wealthy individuals and large corporations,

without those who earn less than $ 400,000 a year

, a key promise of Biden's campaign.

The plan also calls for lowering the prices the federal government pays for pharmaceuticals it buys for Medicare beneficiaries, a longtime goal of Democrats who want the government to be able to negotiate those prices.

[Biden says it "remains to be seen" whether a path to citizenship for immigrants can be included in the $ 3.5 billion package]

Democrats are expected to pass the resolution with unanimous opposition from Republicans.

This step is crucial because it would allow a subsequent bill, which would be the one that would actually enact the Democratic plan within 10 years and with the investment of 3.5 billion dollars, to be approved by the Senate by a simple majority, that is, no need for Republican votes.

Still,

Democrats are expected to come to the fall to complete their $ 3.5 trillion package as progressive and moderate rivals jostle over

which of their priorities will survive.

The Capitol as senators work to promote the bipartisan infrastructure bill in Washington, August 8, 2021. Sarah Silbiger / Reuters

Republicans are firmly against the Democrats' $ 3.5 trillion plan.

They see this fight as

politically advantageous in the run up to next year's elections for control of the House and Senate,

and they plan to force a vote on amendments on issues such as immigration, crime and inflation that they believe will benefit them during next year's campaigns.

Democrats' $ 3.5 trillion tax scheme "will push the Senate into an ultra-partisan showdown over the staggering and reckless wave of taxes and spending" they want, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. last week.

With his eyes clearly on the November 2022 vote, McConnell said Schumer is getting Democrats to vote on "nothing less than President Sanders' dream shopping list. Every American family will know exactly what their senator's position is." , referring to progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, independent from Vermont, who chairs the Budget Committee.