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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said that Democrats are nearing a deal on President Joe Biden‘s ‘Build Back Better’ Act.
The social spending bill that Democrats have been negotiating for months includes most of the president’s priorities, including an array of benefits for students, families and the elderly, and efforts to address climate change.
Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether the agreement on the spending package and votes on infrastructure could occur in the coming week, Pelosi replied, “that’s the plan.”
And on the spending package specifically, which progressives and moderate Democrats are still negotiating, she sounded particularly optimistic.
“I think we’re pretty much there now,” she said. “We’re almost there. It’s just the language of it.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats are "almost there" on an agreement on a social safety net bill which would also allow the bipartisan infrastructure bill to move forward.
"I think we pretty much have a deal now," she tells @jaketapper. "…I think we're pretty much there now." pic.twitter.com/i5OG4SzAGN
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 24, 2021
The spending bill has also been tied to a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill as progressives have said they will not vote for the measure until a vote on the social safety net is secured.
“It is less than what was projected to begin with, but is still bigger than anything we’ve done in terms of addressing the needs of American working families,” Pelosi said of the concessions on the overall cost of the bill.
President Biden himself had expressed optimism on Thursday during a televised town hall on CNN, saying, “I do think I’ll get a deal.”
The bill started out with a topline number of $3.5 trillion, but has since been reported to be closer to $2 trillion after concessions had to be made to gain support from some moderate Democrats, namely West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
“It is less than what was projected to begin with, but it is still bigger than anything we’ve done in terms of addressing the needs of American working families,” Pelosi said.
“Nonetheless, the point is to reach a goal,” she added.
