What Happened to Build Back Better?

Congressional staff have informed us that the Build Back Better (BBB) bill will not be ready for floor action any time soon and predict the wide-ranging legislation that the White House has negotiated with centrist Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Sinema (D-AZ) may have to be completely overhauled.  On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Schumer informed colleagues the Senate will turn immediately to voting rights legislation and would vote to reform the chamber’s filibuster rule by Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on January 17th, if Senate Republicans block it. On Tuesday, Sen. Manchin said, “there is no negotiation going on at this time. To do some of the things that have been proposed takes more of a majority than we have.”  Sen. Manchin said “he planned to find out soon what the timeline is for further discussion on the BBB, but he remains concerned about inflation, the spread of Covid-19, geopolitical unrest, and he reiterated his opposition to an expanded child tax credit that offers payments to people who aren’t working.”