Biden pitches $1.75T plan at Capitol, trying to unite Dems

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has traveled to Capitol Hill to pitch House Democrats on a dramatically scaled back domestic policy package. He told lawmakers in the plainest language: “I need your votes.”

The proposal is now $1.75 trillion and without a paid family leave program and other priorities. But it’s still a sweeping plan with new health care, free-prekindergarten and climate change programs. The president was also making remarks at the White House.

Top Democrats say a deal is within reach. But tempers have flared as a paid family leave proposal fell out and a billionaires plan ended up scrapped, largely to satisfy one pivotal senator. Biden urging Democrats to wrap up talks and bring the social services and climate change bills at the center of his domestic initiative “over the finish line.”

Democrats are eyeing a surtax on those with more than $10 million in income to help pay for it.

The president has wanted to announce at least the framework of a deal before departing Thursday for global summits. Progressive House Democrats want to see the fine print of the big domestic bill before voting on a related infrastructure measure.

A recent AP-NORC survey finds roughly 6 in 10 Americans say health care and education funding should be high priorities in the spending package. This chart is current as of October 27, 2021 and will not update. Source: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

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