Congress is returning for crunch week, and Democrats have a centrists problem


The House and Senate return to session this week, and Democrats have a long checklist of things to do and little or no room for error. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) listed the big priorities Sunday: "Keep the government open. Don't default on the debt. Make sure the president gets a win on the infrastructure bill ... and, obviously the mother of all legislation, the reconciliation package." And, he added, "failure is not an option."
Democratic leaders are expected to unveil a short-term spending bill that would also suspend the debt ceiling, Politico reports, and Republicans have threatened to block it. The House is supposed to vote on the Senate-approved bipartisan infrastructure bill by Sept. 27, though House progressive leaders have threatened to vote it down unless moderate Democrats first back the reconciliation package, a sweeping bill worth up to $3.5 trillion over 10 years. And the centrist Democrats are already poking holes in the multi-trillion-dollar package.
First. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) told President Biden last week that she won't support a key proposal to lower Medicare drug prices, Politico reports. Sinema — who "ranks as one of Congress' leading recipients of pharmaceutical industry donations, according to an analysis by Kaiser Health News" — also currently opposes a pared-back alternative from House centrists. A spokesman said "Kyrsten is working directly in good faith with her colleagues and President Biden on the proposed budget reconciliation package."
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.
Then there's Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who will take lead on writing — and scaling back — the climate part of the package, The New York Times reports. "His beloved West Virginia is second in coal and seventh in natural gas production," and "Manchin has received more campaign donations from the oil, coal, and gas industries than any other senator" in the current election cycle. Manchin also made nearly $500,000 last year from a coal brokerage firm he founded. Many progressive Democrats are already irritated at Manchin for insisting they shrink the bill and push back its passage — and also worried he'll sink the entire package.
"Senior Democrats acknowledge the weeks ahead are lined with landmines," Politico reports, but "they argue that members across the party will pull together in the end and not squander a once-in-a-decade chance to enact social reforms such as universal child care, paid family leave, and expanded health care programs."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Glastonbury and the BBC: time for a change?
Talking Point Furore over Bob Vylan broadcast could 'mark the end' for streaming festival live
-
Hotels with kitchen gardens for a foodie weekend away
The Week Recommends Feast on seasonal produce straight from the veg patch at these country retreats
-
Succession planning as the Dalai Lama turns 90
In the Spotlight China 'determined to shape the narrative' around choice of Tibet's next spiritual leader
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders