Can the Senate pass the Build Back Better bill before Christmas?


In a Monday "Dear Colleague" letter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reiterated his goal for the Senate to finish and pass the Build Back Better bill "before Christmas and get it to the president's desk." But with Christmas Eve only 18 days away, can Democrats pull it off? Here's why Schumer's goal might be more optimistic than it appears, per Politico.
For one thing, four of the 12 Senate committees working to draft the bill have yet to submit final text to the Parliamentarian, "which needs to consider whether any provisions violate the Byrd rule; to the Congressional Budget Office, which needs to score the legislation; and to Senate Republicans, who will be sure to scrub it for political landmines," Politico writes.
On top of that, the Senate will also be dedicating time this week to nominations from President Biden and National Defense Authorization Act negotiations, for which Schumer on Monday told senators to "prepare for potential weekend votes."
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.
Simultaneously, the death of former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kansas), for whom there will be services at the Capitol this week, may cause some "legislative delay," writes Politico. And if that weren't enough, Congress still needs to address the debt ceiling by Dec. 15, and buffer in enough time for the reconciliation bill to return to the House for yet another vote, considering it's highly unlikley the Senate passes the House version without any changes.
Phew — on that note, godspeed.
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.
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
'No one should be surprised by this cynical strategy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl