Pelosi Signals Scaling Back Reconciliation Bill

Punchbowl News: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi has begun to address how she’ll handle some of the vexing decisions she will have to make in the coming days about the shape of the reconciliation bill.”

Said Pelosi in a letter: “Overwhelmingly, the guidance I am receiving from Members is to do fewer things well so that we can still have a transformative impact on families in the workplace and responsibly address the climate crisis: a Build Back Better agenda for jobs and the planet For The Children!”

“Democrats have several paths given the reality of having to shrink their reconciliation package from $3.5 trillion to the roughly $2 trillion level: more programs for less money, meaning shorter duration; fewer programs for more money; or just a mix and mash of both. Pelosi here is coming down in favor of the ‘do fewer things well’ argument, which means there will be programs on the cutting room floor.”

Playbook: “That might seem mundane, but it’s not. Progressives have been pushing for leaders to adopt their whole wishlist of proposals from universal Pre-K and free college to dental and vision for Medicare — and cut the price tag by having them expire in a few years’ time. The idea, they argue, is to set up a bunch of mini cliffs and dare Republicans to let popular programs expire.”