A hollow victory, but a “victory” nonetheless for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who managed to cajole, beat, and threaten her way to passing another trillion-dollar spending package the country doesn’t want and doesn’t need. Two of the most ardent voices of opposition, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Joe Manchin, don’t seem convinced to move on the massive reconciliation package in its existing form.
Thus, for all the hemming and hawing, the House passed the bill with zero Republican support while one Democrat crossed the aisle to join the side of fiscal sanity and vote against Biden’s behemoth spending bill:
The House voted 220 to 213 to pass Biden’s Build Back Better bill, with one Democrat joining all Republicans in opposing the measure.
Cheers erupted on the House floor after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the bill passed, followed by chants of “Nancy” by Democrats.
The bill now heads to the Senate, which is hoping for a vote before Christmas. The Senate is expected to make some changes in order to win the support of all 50 Democratic-voting members and comply with arcane budget rules. That will mean another vote in the House will be likely before the bill can become law.
Yes, the bill is headed to the Senate, where it will be gutted or trashed, either outcome is likely. Manchin isn’t going to vote for it, and others have expressed serious concerns about inflation and the tax cuts included in the bill for states like New York and California with regard to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.
The biggest accomplishment of this legislation will be the provide Republicans with a bottomless trough of campaign fodder in 2022. Almost all the so-called “moderate” Democrats voted for it, short of one. All the Democrats facing tough reelection campaigns in swing districts have practically sealed their fate with this vote.
Truthfully, their fate was probably already sealed given how unpopular the Democratic Party agenda has become in the wake of ruinous inflationary policies, this is just the final nail in that political coffin.
Congratulations, Democrats! You just made 2022 a better year for Republicans.
