The E&EDaily breaks it down.
1. Go small
Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) both made clear late last year that efforts to pass the "Build Back Better Act" would continue into 2022. That might very well mean negotiating a smaller package.
2. No deal
Even for Democrats vowing to return to negotiations in the new year, Manchin’s opposition may be too much to overcome.
That could mean no deal at all ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, and the bill’s demise. Most prognosticators see Democrats losing seats in the House in November, imperiling their majority there. The Senate is likewise considered in danger for the party.
Outside the climate portions of the package, Manchin has still not consented to allowing an expansion of the child tax credit. Excluding that provision is considered a dealbreaker for many Democrats. And even though Jayapal discussed compromise yesterday, progressives have also been cool to keep shrinking the bill.
3. Climate breakout
Some Democrats have suggested salvaging the situation by breaking the "Build Back Better Act" into chunks. That would mean separating the $555 billion in climate spending from the rest of the package and passing it individually.
4. Spending bills
If climate legislation can’t move via the reconciliation package, lawmakers are likely to rely on the annual spending bills to bulk up agencies’ work on Democratic energy and environmental priorities.
Congress is currently working on an omnibus spending package for fiscal 2022, with a goal of finishing by Feb. 18 when current stopgap funding expires.
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