Democrats’ Health Care Divide Cracks Open Again During Spending Bill Talks
A faction of House Democrats are pushing to allocate funds from the $350 trillion spending package to shore up the Affordable Care Act, rather than other major health initiatives like expanding Medicare. Those negotiations are also linked to a new child care proposal, the looming debt ceiling and other financial pressures.
Politico:
Democrats Reopen Old Health Care Wounds With $3.5T Mega-Bill On The Line
Hours after House Democrats launched a major, health care-focused piece of their pitch to turn $3.5 trillion of social spending dreams into law, it ran smack into a political brick wall. The party's growing problem is twofold: On one hand, the White House and Senate are keeping their distance from the House's proposal to divvy up hundreds of billions of dollars between a progressive push for a massive expansion of Medicare benefits and a leadership-driven quest to permanently strengthen Obamacare. On the other, progressives who got a lot of what they wanted in draft legislation the House Ways and Means Committee released Tuesday night are still unhappy with colleagues who would rather use the party's health care dollars on making expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act coverage permanent. (Caygle and Ollstein, 9/8)
The Washington Post:
Democrats Ready $450 Billion Plan To Expand Child Care, Pre-K As Broader Economic Package Hits New Political Snags
Congressional Democrats this week are set to take their first steps toward adopting a $450 billion plan that could improve child care nationwide, marking an early attempt to lock in a major element of President Biden’s economic agenda at a moment when it is in political peril. The new spending could amount to the largest-ever investment in federally backed child-care programs, with Biden and other Democrats laboring to ease the financial burdens on parents, offer higher wages to caregivers and ensure all children ages 3 and 4 can enroll in free prekindergarten. (Romm, 9/8)
The Washington Post:
Democrats Confront Numerous Hurdles As They Work To Advance $3.5 Trillion Economic Package
The days ahead are likely to be grueling for the party’s lawmakers, who are about to embark on the tough task of translating President Biden’s broader economic agenda into law. To start, Democrats intend to focus their efforts on proposals to expand Medicare benefits, authorize new family and medical leave programs and make child care and community college more affordable. But Democrats are starting their legislative slog at a precarious time politically, as the party’s liberal and moderate factions increasingly snipe at each other over the price tag and policy scope of their still-forming bill. (Romm, 9/8)
The Hill:
Schumer Rejects Manchin's Call For Pause On Biden Plan
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is rejecting a call for Democrats to hit pause on President Biden's spending plan, indicating that they are sticking to an ambitious timeline. "We're moving full-speed ahead. ... We want to keep going forward. We think getting this done is so important," Schumer told reporters during a conference call on Wednesday. (Carney, 9/8)
