My take.In early August, when Biden got the infrastructure deal through Congress, I wrote that I couldn't believe Biden was getting away with tying these bills together, that I didn't think House Democrats had the "chutzpah" to tank the agreement if they didn't get their reconciliation bill, and that "there are plenty of traps ahead" for the bill to fall apart. Then, a couple of weeks into the news cycle, I wrote that Pelosi should be cautious about calling progressives' bluff and that "the hardest part is still to come." Now we're here. Frankly, my relatively accurate predictions from last month aside, I have no idea how today or the rest of this week will play out. It looks like Democrats are going to keep the government open and deal with the debt ceiling crisis next week. Images of Nancy Pelosi having an urgent phone call during the Congressional baseball game last night basically sum up where things seem to be. It's a scramble, and I don't think anyone — Manchin, Sinema, Pelosi, Biden, or the progressive caucus — really knows how this ship is going to dock. But I can tell you what I think should happen: I think Democrats should take the infrastructure deal. First, I'll concede that Katrina vanden Heuvel is right. Much of the opposition on the left to the reconciliation bill right now is coming from the corporate Democrats who are being lobbied against this bill by big-money interests like the pharmaceutical industry. And I think it’s perfectly reasonable to debate whether calling them moderates is an accurate representation. Being lobbied doesn't mean their position is inherently wrong, but it does point to some of the deep fractures in the Democratic party (it is also one of the reasons Republican populism is so hot right now — they have found resonance with the idea that Democrats have sold out to corporate America and globalism). Still, I've written supportively about the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the past, and there's a reason it got backing from Republicans in the Senate: It's a good investment that is chock full of funding which should have been allocated years ago (like replacing all the lead water pipes in the country, a health necessity so basic it’s absurd it hasn’t been done yet). So I'm not going to spend much time rehashing whether the bipartisan bill is good or not; I’ve already expressed my support for it. More interesting is to analyze what Democrats should do under the presumption they want Biden's agenda enacted. If you're a progressive, I still see the bipartisan bill as a huge win. And right now the party (and Biden) could use a huge win. The bill is brimming with progressive priorities and the exact agenda Joe Biden ran on: Hard infrastructure repairs, expansion of broadband internet, electric vehicle charging stations, climate-resilient infrastructure and public transit funding. On the whole, it's a pro-growth bill, something Democrats (politically and ethically) should embrace. And from a progressive perspective, I still struggle to see the game plan (which is what I said weeks ago). I think it makes the most sense to pass the bill now. If progressives sink the bill, that will be the headline: “Bernie and The Squad sink bipartisan infrastructure bill.” If progressives support Biden's agenda, all eyes turn to Sinema and Manchin on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. That's where you want the focus: Will Sinema and Manchin vote to expand the child tax credit? Will they vote for universal pre-K? Will they expand Medicare? Will they pass legislation that will reduce the cost of prescription drugs? Suddenly it's Manchin and Sinema holding up Biden's agenda (the one he ran on) and keeping these things from voters.You want those questions being asked of the politicians you're trying to pressure. If you sink this bill, the questions won't be on Manchin and Sinema, they'll be on the progressive caucus. The turmoil will turn into a Category 5 hurricane, and the dysfunction will snowball. If you take the win, you can ride that win and move onto the next agenda item with a little momentum. Traditionally, that's how successful administrations have worked. So regardless of what Democratic faction you’re in, I'm not seeing the rationale for sinking this bill. Pretty much the only reason to tank it would be to “prove” you have a spine and punish Democratic leadership for not keeping the unrealistic promise they’d link the bills together. But the results of that chest-puffing could legitimately end any chance that any of Biden’s agenda comes to pass. It seems to me we’re seeing the liabilities of a bad plan coming home to roost, and now it’s time to take the rational exit ramp.
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