Schumer says Senate is 'moving full speed ahead' on reconciliation bill, despite Manchin's call for 'strategic pause'

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday effectively rejected Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) call for a "strategic pause" in Democrats' reconciliation process when he told reporters the Senate is "moving full speed ahead" on the bill with the goal of finishing this month.
"We're moving forward on this bill," he added.
Manchin and his budget hawk counterpart Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have long signaled their concerns surrounding a reconciliation package as large as $3.5 trillion, but Democrats will need their votes to pass the legislation.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Schumer on Wednesday acknowledged such spending disagreements within the party, but noted that "we are going to work very hard to get unity" and build a "joint proposal" that satisfies the House, the Senate, and the White House.
But rest assured, as he's clarified before, "every part of the Biden plan" will be accomplished in a "big and robust way." "In reconciliation, we're all going to come together to get something big done," he said.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) agreed while also acknowledging the challeges ahead: "What we're trying to do is unprecedented ... this is tough stuff."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Americans deserve immigration officials who are transparent about what they do and why'
instant opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Schumer: Did he betray the Democrats?
Feature 'Schumer had only bad political options'
By The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US officials share war plans with journalist in group chat
Speed Read Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal conversation about striking Yemen
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Mark Carney calls snap election
speed read Voters will go to the polls on April 28 to pick a new government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published