Progressives see budget deal getting close after Biden meeting
By Mike Lillis and Scott Wong - 10/19/21 07:39 PM EDT Progressive lawmakers emerged Tuesday from a meeting at the White House saying President Biden has taken charge of the negotiations over his sweeping domestic agenda, is offering specific spending recommendations — and has boosted the Democrats' hopes of winning an agreement in the coming weeks.
To create a sense of urgency, Biden is urging lawmakers to put their differences aside and get a bill to his desk before he and other top Democrats head to Glasgow for an international summit on climate change, a gathering that begins on Oct. 31.
"I felt that we're closer to a deal than I've ever felt before. I felt the president was engaged in the details of the negotiation in a way he hasn't been before,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), one of nine House progressives who huddled with Biden in the Oval Office.
The comments came amid a busy day at the White House, where Biden was toiling to salvage his economic agenda. The president met separately with a pair of centrist senators — Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — who have resisted his economic plans, then hosted the larger group of progressives before rounding out the day with moderates of both chambers. Vice President Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also participated.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/577493-progressives-see-budget-deal-getting-close-after-biden-meeting
