Biden sharply cuts ambitions for a stronger social safety net to gain wider support

which pays The New York Times. According to the newspaper, Biden admitted in a private meeting with Democratic leaders on Friday that he will have to cut his social spending plans to $ 2 trillion over ten years. This money is intended for education, the fight against climate change and a wide range of socio-economic issues, among others.

The Democratic Party has a slim majority in Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. A handful of supporters may already block the president’s initiatives, as Republicans will withhold their support anyway. However, time is running out for Biden to pass important laws. Soon, attention will turn to the congressional midterm elections next year. The question is whether the Democrats will retain control.

So Biden went to the swing state of Michigan to bridge the gap between different camps in his Democratic Party that may or may not agree with his proposals. In addition to social spending, Biden also plans to spend $ 1 trillion ($ 862 billion) on infrastructure over the next ten years. He also cannot pass this plan through Congress: the Senate already approved it in August, but the House has not yet wanted to vote on it.

An advance

“We are in danger of losing our lead,” Biden said in a speech Tuesday in Michigan, pleading for his support. “If you resist these investments, you are complicit in America’s decline.”

Biden appeared to be targeting Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who oppose the scale of his social plans. At the same time, he also addressed Progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives, who said they would vote for his infrastructure plan only if Biden’s social plans were not scaled back. The latter seems to be happening now.

Despite the apparent deadlock, Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday he expected the divisions between conservative and progressive Democrats to be resolved. “Our goal is to get both laws passed next month,” Schumer told reporters, targeting November.