Hoyer says deal is imminent, as early as Tuesday
By Mike Lillis - 10/26/21 12:59 PM EDT
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) predicted Tuesday that a long-sought Democratic agreement on President Biden's domestic policy agenda is imminent, saying a deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday afternoon.
"The president's working very hard on this, and the Speaker's been working very hard on it," Hoyer said during a press call. "And so there's a lot of work that's been done and I think it could come together relatively quickly in the next few hours."
Such a timeline appears highly optimistic — some lawmakers said improbable — given the number of sticking points remaining as Democratic leaders race to secure a deal on a social spending package at the center of Biden's economic policy agenda.
Outstanding disagreements between liberals and moderates over a Medicare expansion, paid family leave benefits and climate initiatives have all prolonged the debate and threatened to alienate one faction or another, jeopardizing Biden's top domestic priority. Some lawmakers said it will likely take a week to iron out those differences.
"We're close. We're really close. And I think if we can just take another week and finalize all these details and get the language done on both the bills, I think we'll be in good shape," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Progressive Caucus.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/578503-hoyer-says-deal-is-imminent-as-early-as-tuesday
