Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:40 pm
Progressive Caucus Chair, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) that progressives are willing to negotiate with the moderates and deliver President Biden’s agenda.
Video of Rep. Jayapal:
Progressive Caucus Chair Jayapal, "We are able to do whatever we can to deliver the entirety of the president's agenda." The progressives are being reasonable and are willing to negotiate on a final number with the moderates that are 4% of the caucus. pic.twitter.com/BwsLkXZLAJ
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 30, 2021
Rep. Jayapal told reporters, “We are able to do whatever we can to deliver the entirety of the president’s agenda. We will stay here until we get this done. We will work 24 hours, eat pizza every night. You’ll be sick of all of us at the end of it. “
Jayapal also said that progressives are willing to negotiate, “don’t have a number. I don’t have a number. That’s what he tells you. But that’s not what ultimately will be the package. I don’t have an offer in front of me. My number is 3.5. Our number is 3.5. Somebody has a different offer, then they can put it on the table. You don’t negotiate against yourself. If you go to buy a house, you don’t put down an offer and before an offer has been put on the table say okay, I’m willing to go down another 100,000. Has anybody done that? I don’t think so. That’s not how we negotiate. We have said you don’t like this? You are 4%. Just want to be clear. 4% don’t like it. We understand we have to come to the table. So you tell us what you want úand we will figure out whether or not we can get there. “
The Media Is Getting It Wrong On The Reconciliation Bill Coverage
The holdup isn’t a standoff between progressives and moderates. It is Manchin and Sinema in the Senate holding up an agenda that 96% of Democrats in Congress support.
It is Biden, Schumer, Pelosi, and the progressives versus Manchin and Sinema. This isn’t some big division within the Democratic Party. It is a couple of Senators slowing everything down because they want something.
Sen. Manchin supports many pieces of the reconciliation bill, and has also shown a willingness to negotiate with the progressives. Manchin is likely to get on board at some point. No one is sure where Sinema stands, but unless she wants a primary challenge, she had best not think about sinking the Biden agenda.
It looks like Democrats leadership and the progressives will deliver a deal. It may not be on the schedule that leadership orginally wanted, but if one squints, a path to success is visible.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
