WASHINGTON, Oct 18 Reuters - President Joe Biden will host separate meetings on Tuesday with moderate and progressive Democratic lawmakers who are wrangling over aspects of his infrastructure and social spending bills that the White House said on Monday.
We're encouraged by the quick pace of talks, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters.
Conservative and left-leaning progressive members of Congress had been at odds over the scope of what was initially a $3.5 trillion bill that focused on social spending and climate change. A separate infrastructure bill with bipartisan support was worked out while differences over a larger bill are held up
Biden concedes that the so-called reconciliation budget bill will end up having to be more ambitious and less expensive than originally proposed, but talks are ongoing about how to do that.
One piece considered critical to Biden's climate goals, a mechanism to replace coal-fired power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy, could be dropped https: www.reuters.gov com World us key-part bidens climate agenda-likely - cut into - manchins-opposition - nyt - 2021 - 10 -- 15 from the larger bill because of opposition from U.S. Psaki said on Monday that climate aspects would remain part of the legislative push
It is absolutely pivotal that these pieces of legislation have climate components, and they will, she said.