US Senate Passes $ 3.5 Trillion Budget To Advance Biden's Social Agenda

President Joe Biden appears on his economic agenda at the White House this Thursday.Evan Vucci / AP

Democrats in the United States Senate approved a $ 3.5 trillion [2.9 trillion euro] budget early Wednesday morning that seeks to reinforce the Joe Biden Administration's social agenda. The bill, which did not receive any Republican support (50 votes in favor, 49 against), includes measures to boost the fight against climate change, expand social security for the elderly (Medicare), and invest in education , among other initiatives. The funds to carry out the project will be obtained from a rise in taxes on the wealthiest and large companies. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will vote on the bills in two more weeks.

Biden's new legislative victory came just hours after the Senate also passed the largest infrastructure plan in decades, worth a trillion dollars. Democrats had to give up the entire social section to have Republican support in this bipartisan proposal. For this reason, the budget has now been baptized as the "human infrastructure" plan. Although they do not have the backing of the opposition, the majority allow them to pass it in the House of Representatives as well, although the process is not expected to be without difficulties. The biggest expansion of the federal safety net in nearly six decades stirred fears of overspending on conservatives, but also moderate Democrats.Republican senators argued that the bill wastes money and that the tax increase on the wealthiest will affect the economy and cause inflation to rise.

More information

• Biden gets the Senate to pass the largest infrastructure plan in decades with Republican support

• Senate Democrats Push for $ 3.5 Trillion Plan to Advance Biden's Reforms

The budget promoted by Biden increases the medical benefits of public health by including dental coverage, hearing and vision treatments.

In addition, it contemplates supporting the creation of free kindergartens and community institutes, and the possibility that millions of immigrants without papers obtain citizenship.

"A vote against this plan is a vote against reducing the cost of health care, housing, childcare, the care of the elderly and prescription drugs for American families," the president defended on Wednesday in an appearance.

Republicans, aware that they did not have the votes to stop the budget project, used amendments to slow down the vote as much as possible, which took place at four in the morning after 14 hours of debate.

Many of the 40 amendments presented in the vote were intended to force Democratic senators to pronounce on sensitive issues - such as the total reopening of schools after the COVID or the teaching of racial theories - in order to put them in a bind in their territories before the mid-term legislative elections in November 2022.

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