As Congress continues to try and put forth legislation that will keep the government open while also pushing across President Joe Biden's hefty infrastructure bill, the resistance of some Democratic members of Congress is creating strife inside the party.
Senator Joe Manchin shared that he is unwilling to pass the $3.5 trillion spending package containing most of President Biden's agenda. Instead, he has put a cap on what he would pass at around $1.5 trillion.
Rep. Ilhan Omar joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Chad Hartman to discuss what she sees in Congress and what is being done to keep the government open, as the deadline to stop a shutdown is today.
While Manchin is hesitant to vote yes on the upcoming spending package, Omar shared that almost every other democrat is working to get the Build Back Better agenda passed into law.
"The reality is that we are fully committed to passing President Biden's entire Build Back Better agenda and delivering on the transformative change that we promised to the American people that helped deliver the House majority, the Senate majority, and the White House," she said.
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When it comes to Manchin being against the bill, Omar is curious about what he is precisely against.
"Are they willing to leave behind women and families who desperately need child care, do they want to leave behind people who have been desperately fighting for paid leave, do they not want to create good jobs in the care economy, are they willing to not do anything on climate change or invest in housing," Omar said.
She went on to say that Manchin previously worked on the bill, so she doesn't understand why he has an issue with it now.
"After they have done that, after we have already done the work, for them to say the numbers don't add up, to the numbers they already agreed, it's not really how negotiations work," she said.
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"What we want them to do is take the bill that we've marked up and to tell us what parts of the bill they don't like because this conversation is beyond top-line numbers."
When it comes to legislation getting passed, either the $3.5 trillion or less, Omar shared that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her that something would go through no matter what.
With it being up in the air whether or not President Biden's campaign promises and agenda will go through, Omar sees it carrying an effect for Democrats continuing to control the House, Senate, and the White House.
Congress is set to vote on the bill today and will need to pass some form of legislation to keep the government from shutting down.
