After latest win, Biden focuses on larger spending package

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – In Washington, fresh off passing a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, President Biden and Democrats now turn their attention to the second plank of his agenda: a much bigger spending bill with money to fund new social programs and to fight climate change.

But do they have enough momentum to get it done?

Congress is not in session this week but Democrats continue working behind the scenes to try to deliver another legislative win for the president.

It’s been anything but a walk on the beach for President Biden. But now, with a trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill passed and ready for his signature, the president finally has some wind at his back.

The president, still stinging from last week’s Democratic election losses, is now trying to harness momentum from the infrastructure victory to pass a $1.75 trillion package funding new social and climate change initiatives.

“I think the one message that came across was: get something done,” he said. “It’s time to get something done.”

But even if that bill passes the House, no certainty at this point, finding 50 votes in the Senate will be even harder with moderate Democrats like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin balking at the price tag and even some of the core provisions in the House version.

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said, “I’m sure the Senate will make changes. That’s the way the legislative process works. But we are going to get a very strong version of this bill through the House, through the Senate, to the president’s desk and into law.”

And unlike the infrastructure bill, Republicans say they won’t back the president’s “Build Back Better Bill” at all, arguing the public doesn’t want it.

Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said, “What Americans are fed up with, they’re fed up with inflation. They’re fed up with their kids being indoctrinated in their schools and they’re fed up with de-funding the police. Those are the issues that people care about.”

The House will resume work on that larger spending bill next Monday. Meanwhile, the president and other cabinet members will fan out across the country this week to explain what’s in the infrastructure bill which just passed.

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