Lisa Desjardins:
So much to talk about here.
So let me also try to guide this. We are still watching Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. And he is having talks with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. They just talked on Monday. However, what Joe Manchin wants right now is a bill that is aimed at deficit reduction. He would increase corporate taxes, which is what a lot of Democrats want to do. But he would use half of that money to reduce the deficit.
Sort of what he’s saying, if you want my vote, this is what I — what I want in return. Now, Democrats could try and get some of that original — those original agenda items, maybe child care, maybe some health care provisions in that. But this is early days on that. And, really, it kind of is a longshot at this point on whether any version of Build Back Better remains.
I think what I want to do, because this is so much, it sometimes hurts my own head to talk about all these things. I want to lay out for viewers the chances of survival of all these different issues that we’re talking about.
So we put together this graphic. This is talking about the path ahead for all the different issues that are on the table here. You see, first of all, on the left side, more likely, Ukraine funds. That is something that is more likely to get through Congress sometime in coming weeks and months.
Now, sort of more in the middle, talking about COVID finds. That is a hot political issue right now. Republicans do not trust Democrats. There is politics involved. I do think, though, everyone realizes this country needs new COVID supplies.
Now, in the middle, trickier, that China competitive spill and CHIPS. Very unclear to see where that heads. On the less likely end, the longshots, those include things that we were just talking about, the Manchin deficit bill, Build Back Better. There is also a potential climate bill that Joe Manchin and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are working on.
I put those on the longshot kind of part of the spectrum. Another problem with all this, Judy, of course, as you said, the clock is running out.
So let’s take a quick look at the calendar for Congress up ahead. Here we are. Let’s look at May and June. These are the weeks that both the House and Senate are in session, just five weeks. Why do these months matter? Because this is a midterm election year. July 4 is generally seen as the time when everything turns into the election year.
This is a huge election year. Could lawmakers do something after September? Yes. But have they in recent years? No, they never have. And, also, occupying the calendar in May and June, January 6 hearings in the House.
So there is not a lot of oxygen on Capitol Hill. They have a lot to do. There is not a lot of will — or there’s not a lot of commonality, and a lot to do.