Senate Democrats hopeful they'll wrap up Biden agenda negotiations 'this week'

Did you hear that? That may have been the sound of Capitol Hill breathing a huge sigh of relief.
According to multiple Senate Democrats — including Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — a deal on President Biden's Build Back Better agenda could be reached "by week's end," The Hill reports, according to sources familiar with sentiments expressed at a caucus lunch. Reuters has also shared news of an impending deal.
"Universally there was a desire to get this done by the end of this week," said one Democratic senator who attended the Tuesday meeting. Another source added that there was support from "left to right" that an agreement be reached ASAP.
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.
Manchin told his colleagues he will work with Sanders, chair of the Senate budget committee, and Schumer directly. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), however, was reportedly not present at the meeting, so it's somewhat "unclear if there's urgency from all 50 to clinch something this week," writes Politico's Burgess Everett.
And that last mile likely won't be easy either. Said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.): "It'll be a heavy lift."
Still, there's a "consensus that we need to resolve our differences by the end of the week," added Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), per HuffPost's Igor Bobic. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) shared similar sentiments to Blumenthal, although she seems to think agreement is slightly further away.
"We had a very spirited discussion at our lunch," Schumer later said. "Passionate, strong and there was universal, universal agreement in that room that we have to come to an agreement and we got to get it done and want to get it done this week."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
He added, "The desire to get it done is strong." Read more at The Hill.
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.
-
October 19 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?
In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections