Democrats Agree to $3.5 Trillion Budget to Advance With Infrastructure Deal

The New York Times
By Emily Cochrane

The measure, which would include money to address climate change, expand Medicare and fulfill other Democratic priorities, is intended to deliver on President Biden’s economic proposal.
WASHINGTON — Top Democrats announced on Tuesday evening that they had reached agreement on an expansive $3.5 trillion budget blueprint, including money to address climate change, expand Medicare and fulfill other Democratic priorities, that they plan to advance alongside a bipartisan infrastructure deal.

Combined with nearly $600 billion in new spending on physical infrastructure contained in the bipartisan plan, which omits many of Democrats’ highest ambitions, the measure is intended to deliver on President Biden’s $4 trillion economic proposal. The budget blueprint, dominated by spending, tax increases and programs that Republicans oppose, would pave the way for a Democrats-only bill that leaders plan to push through Congress using a process known as reconciliation, which shields it from a filibuster.

Mr. Biden is set to attend lunch on Wednesday with Democrats, his first in-person lunch with the caucus since taking office, to kick off the effort to turn the tentative outline into a transformative liberal package.

The agreement, reached between Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, and the 11 senators who caucus with the Democrats on the Budget Committee, will need the support of every member of the party and the two independents aligned with them to pass over what promises to be unified Republican opposition.

“We are very proud of this plan,” Mr. Schumer said Tuesday night, flanked by the other Democrats.“We know we have a long road to go. We’re going to get this done for the sake of making average Americans’ lives a whole lot better.”

Details about the outline were sparse Tuesday evening, as many of the specifics of the legislative package will be hammered out after the blueprint is adopted. Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, said the plan would be fully paid for, though Democrats did not offer specifics about how they planned to do so.

The resolution is expected to include language prohibiting tax increases on small businesses and people making less than $400,000, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the accord, who disclosed details on the condition of anonymity. Mr. Schumer said the resolution would call for an expansion of Medicare to provide money for dental, vision and hearing benefits.

Emily Cochrane is a reporter in the Washington bureau, covering Congress. She was raised in Miami and graduated from the University of Florida.