Joe Biden led intensive negotiations on Tuesday, October 19 with elected elected Democrats, in a race against time to pass his major economic and social reforms in Congress.
After weeks of blockage between the left wing of the Democratic Party and the centrists over the cost and scale of its gigantic program of social (education, health, childcare) and environmental spending, the Democratic president has stepped up his efforts .
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"
He spends practically every minute of his day interacting with elected officials of Congress and I think it is a reflection of the sense of urgency that inhabits him,
" said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki . "
Our efforts are aimed at continuing to make progress,
" she said. "
We are approaching the last phase
" to find common ground, she added.
The leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, also wanted to be optimistic Tuesday after a lunch with other elected Democrats, stressing that there was "
a general agreement
" on the need to succeed in reaching an agreement, which could occur as early as "
this week
".
"
The pace has accelerated, and the will to get there is strong,
" he assured reporters.
"
Getting Results for the American People
"
Joe Biden has met with two key Democratic senators - Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, whose opposition to his nearly $ 3.5 trillion plan to reform America's social fabric amounts to a veto.
Because if the Democrats control Congress, their majority in the Senate is so thin that any defection is impossible.
Joe Manchin, however, said he was ready to vote for social spending in the order of $ 1.5 trillion.
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The US president has also met with members of the left wing as well as moderate elected officials and is preparing to deliver a speech Wednesday in Scranton, Pennsylvania where he grew up, to promote his reforms. Progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives, for their part, refuse to vote for a $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure development and renovation plan, wanted by most Democrats and a large number of Republicans, without guarantee on social spending.
Their argument: the Democrats of the center, once the bridges and roads have been funded, would be too happy to postpone a vote on the social aspect until Greek calendars.
If the fratricidal war continues to rage in public in the Democratic camp, Jen Psaki was confident.
“
We have had months to assess, debate, plead,
” she said.
"
Soon it will be time to move forward and get results for the American people
."
