Reconciliation bill: Pelosi schedules hearing despite lack of bill text, framework: LIVE UPDATES

Sen. Joe Manchin said he is reviewing paid leave proposals as part of ongoing negotiations on President Biden's spending bill. Earlier, Sen. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she would approach Manchin about the policy.

“I want to look at everything. We should look at all this stuff. There’s a lot of things that could be good. But the truth is in a reconciliation bill major policies is not the place to do it," Manchin said.

The meeting will occur as Democratic leaders to scramble to reach a consensus on President Biden's social spending plan.

Gillibrand, a prominent advocate of the proposal, told reporters it was "premature" to say the leave programs have been cut from the spending bill. The New York senator said she planned to speak to Sen. Joe Manchin about the situation.

“Until the bill is printed, I will continue working to include paid leave in the Build Back Better plan," Gillibrand said in a statement.

Democratic lawmakers will cut plans for paid family and medical leave from the "Build Back Better," a source with knowledge of negotiations told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich. The leave programs were key provision of President Biden's original vision for a social spending package, but faced stiff pushback from moderates amid concerns about the bill's overall cost.

The source said Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition to the provisions is a key factor.

“Manchin’s firm opposition to the paid leave provision means it likely will not be in the final bill, despite many members lobbying him to support it," the source said.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sent conflicting signals on a proposed "billionaires tax" within minutes of each other Wednesday.

"Some of the provisions that separated the two chambers, it looks to me as though one of the more controversial ones is apparently out," Neal told reporters, including Fox News' Hillary Vaughn, Wednesday. He was referring to the billionaires tax pushed by Wyden and other senators, the details of which they released late Tuesday night.

"Sufficiently dead or completely alive... It's based upon media accounts that Senator Manchin has said that he's not for that," Neal said.

Neal added that the Senate's billionaires tax was "not vetted by any committee."

But Wyden Thursday afternoon said the tax is "absolutely not" dead.

"We are continuing to work with members," he said, according to Fox News' Jason Donner. "I talked with Senator Manchin lots of times before today and again today and he always says, I believe everybody ought to pay their fair share."

Wyden added: "We’ve given a section by section analysis to everybody. We’ve talked to many senators, there's going to be a briefing for staff tonight and not a single senator, not one, is saying, billionaires shouldn't pay their fair share."

The split between the two Democrats who are key to negotiations on the massive bill underscores the difficulty the party is having in uniting all of its members around a single reconciliation bill.

Manchin was asked his take on the billionaires tax later Wednesday. His answer was not definitive.

"No, no, no, no. Listen they only thing I can tell you, everyone should pay," he said, according to Fox News' Jason Donner.

President Biden is meeting Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at the White House late Wednesday afternoon on the reconciliation bill, Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich reports.

Sanders' meeting comes the day after Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., met with Biden at the White House, and as Democrats struggle to come to a consenson their spending plan.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday instructed the House Rules Committee to hold a hearing on Democrats' massive reconciliation spending bill, as Democrats struggle to come to an agreement on the bill but still hope to vote on it this week. 

"As we have insisted, we are close to agreement on the priorities and the topline of the legislation, which can and must pass the House and Senate," Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a letter to fellow Democrats.

"I have asked the Rules Committee to hold a hearing tomorrow, October 28, to advance this spectacular agenda For The People," she added, regarding the reconciliation bill. 

Fox News is told the Rules Committee will meet at 12 p.m. for the hearing. But Pelosi does not say the hearing is a "meeting" to "markup" the rule that would bring the bill to the House floor. Bills must go through such Rules Committee meetings before an eventual vote, so a "hearing" appears to project the image Democrats are close to finalizing the bill.

But the bill isn't written. And there's not even an agreement on what it will look like.

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House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal said Democrats will no longer pursue a proposal to enact a billionaire tax on the unrealized investment gains of the wealthiest Americans.

“I've pointed out that the billionaire's tax had not been vetted by our committee. In fact, it had not been vetted by any committee," Neal told reporters. "And that it will be very difficult because of its complexity. None of us in the Democratic Caucus in the House have any problem with asking billionaires for more money. That's fine. But this happened all of a sudden.

The proposal was considered as a way to help pay for President Biden's sweeping social spending bill. Earlier in the day, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia called the proposal "convoluted" and indicated he was wary of implementing it.

Neal said Democrats are still considering a surtax on millionaires.

Senate Finance chair Ron Wyden, who introduced the billionaire tax, pushed back on the notion that it was no longer under consideration, telling reporters that lawmakers were "continuing to work with members" on the measure.

Fox is told that many progressive members are wanting something concrete, like legislative text, before they’re willing to forge ahead on the infrastructure bill. Getting that right away seems unlikely. In her letter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says there must be “trust and confidence” in the contours of the social spending bill before they tackle the infrastructure bill. Liberals aren’t ready to provide their votes on the infrastructure bill unless everything is locked down on the social spending plan first. 

That said, there are going to be some fences to mend over the billionaires tax.

Liberal Democrats embraced the concept. But the tax on the uber wealthy is probably out of the bill now after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) dismissed it. This is why progressives feel that moderates are still driving the train on this – much to their frustration. They don’t like that the size of the bill keeps shrinking. Their policy priorities are evaporating. And, they’re not scoring the massive tax agreements they want.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a letter to fellow Democrats yet again insisted that a deal on their reconciliation plan is nigh, and asked the House Rules Committee to hold a hearing on Thursday on their spending agenda.

"As we have insisted, we are close to agreement on the priorities and the topline of the legislation, which can and must pass the House and Senate," Pelosi said in the letter. "At the same time, we are facing a crucial deadline for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework to pass.  To do so, we must have trust and confidence in an agreement for the Build Back Better Act."

She added: "Many thanks to House Democrats for your calmness and determination to Build Back Better With Women and to succeed For The Children."

Pelosi said the House Rules Committee will have a hearing Thursday on "this spectacular agenda For The People." Fox News' Chad Pergram reports that the Rules Committee will meet at noon and the meeting will be on the reconciliation bill.

But it's extremely unclear what will be in the reconciliation bill, when text of it may be released and how members of both the House and Senate Democratic caucuses will react to it.

Progressives have made clear they won't vote for the infrastructure until there's a text of reconciliation ready for a vote. The Rules Committee meeting brings that procedurally closer to happening, even if there's still a lot for Democrats to figure out.

As Democrats face a self-imposed deadline to pass a sweeping reconciliation spending bill and a bipartisan infrastructure plan they appear in danger of doing neither – again. 

President Biden is leaving the United States Thursday for an international trip that will include, among other things, a climate summit. The president made clear he wanted have an agreement among Democrats about what the reconciliation deal will look like, and to sign the infrastructure bill, so that he can tout the climate provisions in both. 

"Here's the thing: The president looked at us in the eye and he said, ‘I need this before I go represent the United States in Glasgow,’" Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on "Fox News Sunday."

"American prestige is on the line," he added. 

There's been nonstop talks: Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., were at the White House Tuesday night, as was House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. The Congressional Black Caucus was there too, where they say they had "a full dialogue" with Biden. 

And Democrat leaders have projected sunny optimism – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday that a deal could come in a matter of "hours."

One did not come Tuesday. And a deal appears unlikely Wednesday or Thursday either, unless Democrats can suddenly overcome stumbling blocks on policies from Medicaid expansion to immigration to a billionaires tax to an IRS bank account reporting requirement and more. 

"We're not doing everything today," Manchin said Wednesday. 

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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Wednesday lamented that "every sensible revenue option seems to be destroyed," as Democrats try to come to an agreement on how much their reconciliation bill will cost, what will be in it, and how to pay for it.

"Should we raise corporate tax rates, income personal income tax rates for the very wealthy, of course we should," Sanders said according to the Capitol Hill pool. "At least one person in the caucus doesn't want to do that."

"So we demanded the billionaires pay their fair share in taxes," Sanders said. "Yes, there’s another person who doesn’t want to do that."

Sanders added: "So it seems to me almost every sensible progressive revenue option that the president wants that the American people want that I want seems to be sabotaged."

Sanders' comments reflect the vast policy differences Democrats have on the bill they've promised will be entirely paid for, even as some in the party say a deal is possible this week.

Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., met with White House officials in the Capitol late Wednesday morning and early afternoon as Democrats try to find some kind of deal on their reconciliation bill.

"Everybody's working," Manchin told reporters of the meeting, according to Fox News' Jason Donner.

Also in the meeting were White House officials Steve Ricchetti, Brian Deese, Louisa Terrell and Susan Rice.

"We're doing great. We're making progress," Sinema said as the meeting broke up.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Wednesday that there won't be a final deal among Democrats on reconciliation Wednesday, but he still hopes House progressives won't force another delay on the infrastructure bill.

"I pray to god they don’t," Manchin said when asked what happens if the House delays a vote on infrastructure again, according to Fox News' Jason Donner.

"We're not doing everything today," Manchin also said on the infrastructure deal, according to Fox News' Alex Rego.

He continued to say that if there is a framework that the Senate agrees to soon, President Biden would then attempt to sell it to House members so that they will pass the infrastructure bill.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio., said Tuesday that although Democrats' reconciliation bill isn't "perfect," it does represent "progress" on many issues important to the Black Caucus.

"Is it perfect?" Beatty said when asked how she feels about the bill, and whether a deal is close. "We don't live in a perfect world, and we're not going to give you a perfect answer, but I'm going to give you another ‘P,’ and it's called progress."

Beatty and other members of her caucus touted many of the issues included in the infrastructure bill and reconciliation bill, including public housing, down payment assistance, efforts to fix lead pipes, the child tax credit and money for historically Black colleges and universities.

It's unclear whether some policies, like the child tax credit, will make it into the final bill.

But Beatty and her CBC colleagues nevertheless lauded President Biden, who they said they had a "full dialogue" with Tuesday, for what's included in the bill.

Beatty also hinted that some Democrats could be ready to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill even if a deal is not final on the reconciliation bill.

"I don’t think we’re in a position to keep kicking the can down the road," she said when asked whether the CBC would recommend another delay on the infrastructure vote.

Tensions between liberal and moderate Democrats are beginning to boil about the pace of the social spending bill and deciding what’s in and what’s out of the legislation. 

“It’s the effing progressives,” said one moderate Democrat to Fox, accusing fellow Democrats of asking for “unreasonable things.” 

In retaliation, moderate, Democrats are starting to upbraid their left-wing colleagues in internecine battles. 

A source with ties to the House Progressive Caucus says liberal members are “still not a yes. Yet.” There are a number of priorities on taxation, Medicare expansion and the environment which are important to them. 

Multiple Democrats tell Fox that for each of the past two weeks, they’ve thought the House would vote on the both the infrastructure bill and social spending plan. But things are looking bleak when it comes to any vote on anything this week – or, even next week. That’s because progressives are demanding side-by-side- votes on both bills. And, liberal Democrats are holding their votes hostage on the infrastructure package until there is a concrete framework on which all sides agree. The left is afraid that moderates will back away once there is a deal. 

Members are struggling to divine what’s in and what’s out of the bill. 

“It’s a very closed circle,” said one senior Democratic source. “There are a lot of people in the dark on this.”

For instance, Fox is told that paid family leave is likely to be completely out of the bill now. It had been hanging by a thread and was down to covering just four weeks. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) hedged when asked yesterday as to whether family leave was out or had been reduced to a short period of a few weeks. 

“But then again, family leave has been both alive and dead several times over the past few days,’ said a source. 

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-WY) released his “billionaires” tax plan last night. The problem is that that the Joint Committee on Tax (a hybrid House/Senate panel) must evaluate the cost of this program. Fox has been told this plan does not comply with strict, Senate budget reconciliation rules. That’s why some Democrats are trying to gravitate toward a minimum tax of 15 percent for about 200 firms which reap profits of $1 billion annually. 

Climate details are very important. President Biden pushed $550 billion. But environmentally-conscious Democrats are curious to see if that plan meets emissions standards and mandates 50 percent clean power by the 2030s. 

Some liberals remain deeply skeptical of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). This is augmented by his concern about taxations on methane emissions and if Manchin will demand subsidies for clean coal. 

However, the biggest issue out there appears to be the Medicare expansion. The left has made a big push to include some sort of program to include dental, vision and hearing care. Such a plan would be very expensive. That’s why it’s hard to find the proper pay-fors. Elimination of expanded health care could siphon off the votes of liberals. 

There was a hope that Democrats could at least have a framework this week. This would give President Biden a fig leaf on climate policy as he heads to the environmental summit on Scotland. But Fox is told that some members are leery of even presenting a “tentative framework.” That’s because so few details have been resolved. And, if the sides announce anything public, they’ll be held to it. Simultaneously, any proclamation of a “framework” will demand details. And those details, unless EVERYTHING is signed off on, could ignite a firestorm.

A source familiar confirmed to Fox News that Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., had a joint meeting with President Biden at the White House Tuesday night, as Democrats continue to try to hammer out a deal on a reconciliation bill.

The moderate Sinema and Manchin are the two Democrat senators most reluctant to spend trillions of dollars as other Democrats are proposing. Getting their votes is seen as the key obstacle for Democrats with no margin for error in the 50-50 Senate.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., also went to the White House last night to discuss Medicaid expansion, a key issue for him and other Democrats like Sens. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. Manchin is reluctant to include Medicaid expansion in the reconciliation bill for a handful of reasons. Clyburn, Warnock and Ossoff have all been in contact with Manchin to lobby him on the issue.

The White House meetings also indicate that Biden continues to be involved in the reconciliation talks, which appear to have sped up since he began to seriously lobby lawmakers in recent weeks.

But Democrats still have several issues to resolve on what goes in the bill, how it will be paid for, and even what the topline price will be. Democrat leaders aimed to come to a deal on reconciliation before Thursday when Biden leaves the U.S. for a climate summit. This would allow him to tout progress on climate change at home, as well as the potential passage of the infrastructure bill if progressives lifted their blockade on it.

And while things can change quicky, neither of those scenarios appears likely, and talks will probably bleed at least into November.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said Tuesday that progressives will not vote for the infrastructure bill until there's a vote on reconciliation too, potentially dousing Democrats' hopes of passing infrastructure before President Biden leaves the U.S. for a climate summit Thursday.

"It's not really about the sequencing. It's about voting both of them on the same day," Jayapal said Tuesday, according to Fox News' Caroline McKee. "So, in other words, what I don't want is a framework."

She added: "Do you remember what happened when we had a BIF framework? It took another three months to actually get the legislative text and to actually pass the bill."

Top Democrats in Congress were explicitly saying this week that they hoped a framework would be enough to allow the infrastructure bill to pass. But Jayapal said "dozens" of her Progressive Caucus members are in agreement with her against voting on anything before a vote on reconciliation is ready.

Jayapal said she thought a vote on reconciliation could be ready by the weekend, but it is not clear how that is possible. A vote on reconciliation bleeding into November, or possibly even later, is more likely.

Democrats still face several hurdles to construct an agreement, including Medicaid expansion, IRS enforcement, taxes, immigration and even still the topline price of the bill. And only once they come to a final agreement can they put together a legislative text, the details of which might cause yet more disagreements.

Some House Republicans may vote for the infrastructure bill, making up for any progressives who vote against it. But it is not clear that those Republicans outnumber the progressives who are willing to tank an infrastructure vote -- they likely do not.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was asked about Jayapal's comments that a reconciliation framework is not enough for an infrastructure vote Tuesday. She politely disagreed.

"Well I think it is," Pelosi said according to Fox News' Kelly Phares.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, joined "Your World With Neil Cavuto" on Tuesday and spoke about who will end up paying for President Biden's spending bill.

"Everybody is going to end up having to pay for this if they get to finally figure out what's going to be in it, and how they want to pay for it," he said. "But everyone's going to get hit one way or the other through higher taxes, through higher debt for our nation and through the punishing-- the most punishing taxable-- which is inflation, which is hurting people today when they go to buy groceries or gas, when they go to heat their home."

The Biden administration is pushing lawmakers to include more than $500 billion in funding toward climate-friendly energy practices in the Democrat-backed social spending bill, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain confirmed on Tuesday.

Klain said the spending bill would mark a "historic investment" toward Biden’s goal of cutting carbon emissions. The $500 billion toward climate initiatives would constitute a significant chunk of the spending bill, which is expected to cost approximately $2 trillion, depending on the outcome of ongoing negotiations.

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