‘Build Back Better’ May Be ‘Dead,’ But These Key Portions Will Pass, Sen. Kaine Says

Topline

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said Sunday that President Biden’s $1.8 trillion “Build Back Better” social services bill is “dead,” but said that key portions of it, like education and workforce support, will eventually pass. 

Key Facts

When speaking on Face The Nation, Kaine said that the most recent version of the “Build Back Better” bill—which Biden and a majority of Senate Democrats have been trying to pass for much of the last few months—”is not going to happen.” 

Instead, Kaine said the Democrats will “find the core of the bill”—like education, reduced child care costs and healthcare support—“and pass it, and it will deal directly with some of these inflation concerns.” 

Tangent

In a CBS News/ YouGov poll released Sunday about President Biden’s first year in office, 24% of respondents said their opinion of his performance would improve if “Build Back Better” got passed. Roughly 40% of respondents said Biden and the Democratic party are not focusing on things that are important to them.

Key Background

Biden’s “Build Back Better” framework was a key portion of his presidential platform during the election. The most recent version of the bill was announced in October and passed in the House in November. Since then, it’s been a struggle for Senate democrats to negotiate enough support needed to pass the bill. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), who had long been a roadblock for the legislation and was largely responsible for it having a smaller scope, announced in December that he would not be voting for the bill. The White House called his announcement “a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position,” though negotiations were expected to resume. But two weeks ago, Manchin said there were no negotiations going on regarding the bill and he had not spoken to the White House about it. 

Further Reading

​​Many Americans ‘Frustrated’ With Biden After First Year—Approval Numbers Still Better Than Trump’s (Forbes) 

House Narrowly Passes $1.8 Trillion ‘Build Back Better’ Spending Plan (Forbes) 

BBB Still Stalled? Manchin Said He Hasn’t Talked With White House, But Biden Official Claims Otherwise (Forbes) 

Manchin Says He Won’t Support Build Back Better—White House Calls It ‘Inexplicable Reversal’ (Forbes)