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Although Joe Manchin currently seems to be Democrats’ largest obstacle in passing the Build Back Better Act, he is far from the only hurdle in the way.
Democrats are trying to pass the legislation using a process known as reconciliation, meaning they only need 51 votes to get it approved rather than the 60 votes that are usually necessary when Republicans filibuster a bill.
As they prepare to release more legislative text this week, Democrats also must work out the finer points of their proposal with the Senate parliamentarian. The reconciliation process carries strict rules in the Senate, requiring lawmakers to ensure every element of their plan has direct effects on the federal budget. If it does not, Republicans then can try to strike entire sections from the bill once it reaches the Senate floor.
For now, the two parties are set to battle it out in another round of private meetings in front of the Senate’s chief rule-keeper. The process already has imperiled some of Democrats’ initial policy ambitions, including their hopes to proffer reforms to the country’s immigration laws as part of the social spending bill.