(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- President Biden has canceled his planned trip to Chicago Wednesday, in which he would have promoted coronavirus vaccines.
Budget matters are the reason. The White House has been locked in negotiations with key Democratic senators about infrastructure and a proposal to raise the debt ceiling to accommodate spending that has already been approved.
Republicans in the Senate have said they will not support raising the debt ceiling.
Experts say the president's scrapped travel plans indicate how important these negotiations are, as Biden's $3.5 trillion infrastructure package hangs in the balance.
Biden's decision to stay followed meetings Tuesday with Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona 'aimed at bridging the gap between the moderate senators and progressive lawmakers over the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation legislation and the fate of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal,' CNN reported.
"In meetings and calls over the weekend and through today, President Biden has been engaging with members of Congress on the path forward for the Build Back Better Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. He will now remain at the White House tomorrow to continue working on advancing these two pieces of legislation to create jobs, grow the economy, and make investments in families, rather than failed giveaways to the rich and big corporations," a White House official said.
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