Budget Deal Update

It’s like the gunfight at the OK Corral. Everybody has their guns pointed at each other. You either pull the trigger or go back into the saloon and try to work this thing out.

John Lawrence, former Chief of Staff for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on disagreements amongst Democrats during the funding bill debate.

• Currently, disagreement among Democrats has stalled a $3.5 trillion social spending bill that would also fund the U.S. government.
• Often referred to as “moderate” Democrats, Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Sinema (D-AZ) do not agree with the price tag of the funding bill. Progressives in the House, such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), have advocated for the bill.
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to attempt to pass a short-term funding bill in the Senate to avert a government shutdown. If it also passes the House, this would fund the government until early December.
• In the meantime, an infrastructure bill – which previously had bipartisan support and enough votes to pass the House and the Senate – may be disrupted by progressive Democrats who want to make a statement about the larger funding bill not passing.

Why This Matters: While most news stories highlight disagreements between parties, this latest “face-off” among Democrats shows politics is not just debates/negotiations between political parties themselves, but politicians with different points of view.

Democrats divided: Progressives, centrists say trust is gone