Nearly 90 House Dems want climate change to be the "starting point" for new talks on their rebooted party-line spending bill
What happened: A group of 89 House Democrats is asking President Joe Biden to make provisions aimed at addressing climate change the "building block to restart negotiations" on their stalled social spending bill.
"Inaction now will mean irreversible consequences for our future generations. Given the widespread agreement in the U.S. Senate for House passed climate provisions, we have an opportunity to recommence negotiations with climate serving as a key starting point."
— the House Democratic letter, led by Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.)
We'd note: Signatories of this letter include six committee chairs and 12 appropriators. Here it is.
Of course, Democrats are not quite yet on the same page about how to frame these revived negotiations. Our Senate team wrote recently that many vulnerable Dems in that chamber are eager to craft the package as a cost-cutter that they could then run on in the midterms this fall. More here.
Por que no los dos? Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the centrist holdout on the earlier package, has indicated both pieces of the puzzle — climate and curbing costs for people — should be part of the package.
Source: Anthony Adragna