Senate Democrats: ‘No Rush’ to Complete $3.5 Trillion Reconciliation Package by Halloween Deadline

Senate Democrats have signaled the Halloween deadline for President Biden’s massive tax and spend agenda is arbitrary.

“I think it’s going to be very difficult to get it done by then,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) told the Hill about the challenge of meeting an October 31 deadline. “The drafting is going to take some time.”

Yet drafting the legislation doesn’t seem to be the problem. House and Senate Democrats are infighting over what measures should be included in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package and whether the package should cost $1.5 trillion, $2.2 trillion or $3.5 trillion.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) told the Hill there is no rush to iron out the details by the Democrats self-appointed deadline of Halloween. “We’re going to get these two bills done when they get done,” said Hirono. “It’s going to take a while.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who has been a proponent of extending negotiations on the package, added, “There’s no rush on timing. Let’s just do it and do it right.”

Doing “it right” seems to be subjective, however. Manchin has opposed House Democrats’ topline number of $3.5 trillion and demanded the whole package cost $1.5 trillion in a signed agreement with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“There’s been a lot of speculation about ‘what number on reconciliation.’ My number’s been $1.5 [trillion]. I’ve been very clear,” Manchin said.

Meanwhile, Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has opposed Manchin’s $1.5 trillion number by suggesting a successful package must be at least $3.5 trillion.

“The time is long overdue for him to tell us with specificity, not generalities, we’re beyond generalities… what he wants and what he does not want, and explain that to the people of West Virginia,” Sanders told reporters on Wednesday.

Sanders and other far-left Democrats’ are also frustrated with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) because she is not publicly vocal about what outstanding measure would buy or earn her vote.

“Senator Sinema’s position is that she doesn’t quote-unquote negotiate publicly,” the socialist added. “I don’t know what that means. We don’t know where she’s coming from. Tell us what you want.”

Despite the Democrat infighting, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told the Hill there is no specific reason the package could be completed by the deadline.

“I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t get it done,” Murphy said.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø