Moderate Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated with their progressive peers’ refusal to negotiate the size and scope of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion social welfare package.
Considering the political makeup of the Senate, Democrats will need all hands on deck to utilize the budget reconciliation process if they ever hope to pass the ridiculous proposal.
“I don’t believe that we should turn our society into an entitlement society,” argues Senator Joe Manchin (WV), a moderate Democrat who has encouraged his colleagues to narrow their focus. “I think we should still be a compassionate, rewarding society.”
As it stands, the so-called “human infrastructure” deal includes:
- $225 billion for expanded paid family and medical leave
- $108 billion for free community college regardless of citizenship status
- $14.5 billion for the feds and USPS to switch to electric vehicles
- $3 billion for something called “tree equity”
- $1 billion to build infrastructure for electric vehicles
The proposal also includes $198 billion for a tax credit system to incentivize companies to transition to clean energy and $3.5 billion to pay a “civilian climate corps” $15 an hour to plant trees.
“Our political task is not just to improve life for working families in terms of decent income, healthcare, educations etc.,” argues Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). “It is to change the political paradigm so that people demand their full rights as human beings and not just scraps from the table.”
Far from table scraps, the ambitious proposal offers 12 weeks of paid family/medical leave per year and a significant expansion of Medicare benefits in addition to the $400 billion already allocated for home care for the elderly. And let’s not forget the $5 million for a program that aims to turn felons into entrepreneurs.
When pressed about the proposal’s exorbitant price tag, Democrats say higher taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans will pay for it.
“The cost of the…package is zero,” argues Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). “Because it would be paid for by finally making corporations and the wealthiest individuals pay their fair share – which most Americans support.”
Democrats also hope to bring in additional tax revenue by beefing up the IRS and introducing a plan to audit every bank account in America (read my article on that here).
Author’s Note: Manchin is right. If the progressives get their way, we will have an entitlement society.
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‘Entitlement society’: Progressives refuse to pull political goodies from $3.5T social welfare bill