Pelosi Tells House Democrats to Prepare for "Adjustments" to $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan
WASHINGTON (CBS) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues on Monday that they should brace for "adjustments" to the $3.5 trillion social spending package to fit the Senate's constraints for the budget process lawmakers are using to fast-track the legislation through Congress.
Democratic-led House committees completed work last week on their respective portions of the sweeping $3.5 trillion plan, which is a cornerstone of President Biden's economic agenda. But Pelosi warned her fellow Democrats that the package could be trimmed to ensure it clears both the House and Senate.
"The president and Senate Democrats sent us a budget resolution with a cap of $3.5 trillion. I have promised that we would not have House members vote for a bill with a higher topline than would be passed by the Senate. Hopefully that will be at the $3.5 trillion number," the California Democrat said. "We must be prepared for adjustments according to the Byrd rule and an agreed to number."
Lawmakers are using a tool called budget reconciliation to pass the $3.5 trillion package, which includes Democrats' plans for universal pre-k, expanding Medicare, child and elder care, and addressing climate change. The process allows the legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority, but language has to comply with certain parameters in order to be included in the reconciliation bill.
