Joe Biden had dreams of becoming the next FDR. So far, he’s been more like Jimmy Carter—with a presidency marked by failure after failure. His only hope of salvaging his reputation is getting two key bills passed. But even though Congress is under Democrat control, he is unable to get anything done.
And it appears a long-brewing feud within the party is finally coming to a head. Months ago, Democrats and some RINOs in the Senate passed a “bipartisan” infrastructure bill costing around $1 trillion. But it has yet to be voted on in the House. House Democrats were able to pass a radical, $3.5 trillion socialist package, but it has not passed in the Senate.
Progressives are holding the bipartisan bill ransom, until the Senate passes the extremely expensive and unpopular spending package. But it’s unlikely the $3.5 trillion bill will make it to Biden’s desk. So, instead of supporting a compromised win for the party, progressives would rather tank everything.
So far, though, a deal has failed to materialize, with House progressives demanding assurances that the more expansive spending legislation will pass the Senate before they agree to lend “yes” votes to the bipartisan physical infrastructure bill…
“It’s the effing progressives,” a moderate Democrat told Fox, suggesting that expansive spending and a related “billionaires tax” plan, championed by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other leftist members of Congress were stalling the passage of signature legislation…
Pelosi asked key members of Congress to go “pens down” on any agreed-up provisions of the spending bill in hopes that ending debate on some issues will move the process along faster…
Progressives responded by telling Pelosi that the “votes are not there.” [Source: Daily Wire]
It’s unlikely Biden’s massive, $3.5 trillion deal is going to go through. But Democrats have a chance to give Biden something of a win, by passing his cheaper (although still loaded with dubious measures) infrastructure bill in the House. The only thing stopping them? Radical leftists who refuse to budge.
Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, moderates from conservative states, are unwilling to risk their jobs to support Biden’s radical spending bill. The least House Democrats can do is pass the bipartisan bill and pretend like the party can actually do something. Instead, these progressives think they hold all the cards, holding ransom a bill that most Americans would be happy to see die.
Both of these bills are loaded with rampant government spending, suspicious government overreach, and measures would do little to address current economic problems (where are the tax cuts, regulation halts, and pro-business policies?). It is unlikely either of them will make Americans happy in the long run. But more interesting than that is the fact that Democrats, with control of both Congress and the White House, cannot come together and make a deal.
The splinter of the party is evident. Moderates are trying to pull the party from the brink of socialism. Progressives, drunk on the idea that they can reshape the United States, refuse to back down. It could just lead to a greater fracturing of the Democrats.
Author: Sam Jones
