As each day passes, it seems the Biden administration is rocked with another scandal or setback. His legislative agenda is in constant peril, and the failed president is losing massive amounts of support from his most ardent followers.
Reports emerged late Sunday evening that the Senate parliamentarian denied the Democrats’ ability to sneak in a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal aliens in the their massive $3.5 trillion social-spending bill.
WASHINGTON (AP) — AP source: Senate parliamentarian says $3.5T bill can’t include citizenship path for immigrants, big blow to Biden, Dems.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 20, 2021
The budget reconciliation bills, which Democrats were using to avoid a filibuster, must be strictly fiscal in nature and can’t add to the deficit. It was believed that this push to add immigration to the bill was too policy driven, according to the Senate parliamentarian.
This massive blow to the ultra-progressive Democrats who hoped to sneak in immigration provisions is a clear indicator that their radical agenda won’t succeed without major hurdles from Republicans and moderate Democrats alike. This will cause problems if Democrats have to slash the total size of the size of the legislation to mollify moderate Democrats. The last-minute path to citizenship was meant to placate Far-Left lawmakers if the $3.5 trillion price tag would have to be reduced to appease party moderates.
The key part of the parliamentarian’s decision was that including immigration as part of reconciliation “is further evidence that the policy changes of this proposal far outweigh the budgetary impact scored to it and it is not appropriate for inclusion in reconciliation.”
A big loss for Democrats in their push to legalize undocumented immigrants as part of the reconcilation bill. The Senate parliamentarian rejects the Dems’ arguments and says the “policy changes of this proposal far outweigh the budgetary impact” pic.twitter.com/DzCMMICAsh
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 20, 2021
This blowback for the progressives comes as moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, who is currently the party’s lynchpin, insists on delaying the vote on Biden’s $3.5 trillion wish list until next year.
Manchin’s new timeline would disrupt the plans by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to vote on the budget reconciliation package this month.
Biden reportedly called Manchin earlier this year and told him regarding Democrats’ massive coronavirus stimulus bill, “If you don’t come along, you’re really f***ing me.”
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has shocked many Republicans for her more moderate stance, is also reportedly opposed to Biden’s massive bill, although she’s not as public about it.
Biden’s attempt to pass the $3.5 trillion bill comes as inflation has skyrocketed under his leadership following trillions in spending that has taken place in a mere matter of months with Democrats in control of the federal government.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a far-left socialist, complained to Fake News pundits Sunday morning that the $3.5 trillion was way too low as the radical lawmakers were already forced to cut back from the $6 trillion bill that they wanted.
“Look, right now what we are doing is we are engaging with the House and the Senate,” Sanders said. “It is a complicated proposal. All I am telling you is the $3.5 trillion is much too low. A compromise has already been made; an agreement has been made.”
Author: Elizabeth Tierney
