WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Biden administration says its doing all it can to bring Democrats together.
“We’re working and talking with members of congress,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
Yellen told ABC’s This Week, these negotiations are necessary.
“This is a historic opportunity to invest in the country,” Yellen said.
That investment is stuck in Congress. Progressive House Democrats say they won’t vote for a bipartisan infrastructure bill which passed the Senate, not until the Senate also passes the President’s multi-trillion dollar “build back better” budget.
“We are coming closer and closer to an agreement on this,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said.
On CNN’s State of the Union, Klobuchar said she believes the President will win over the two moderate Senate Democrats– Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). The bill cannot pass without their support.
“I know Senator Manchin, I know the people involved in this. I’ve been in the room. We will get these bills done,” Klobuchar said.
Manchin and Sinema say the President’s plan to address issues like affordable drug prices, child care, and climate change is too expensive.
Republicans say Democrats, need to quit fighting among themselves, and work with the GOP.
“I wish they’d negotiate with republicans in the House,” House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said on FOX News Sunday.
“They just have an insatiable appetite to raise taxes and spend more money. It would kill jobs, it would hit middle class families.”
The House will return Tuesday to vote on a bill to increase the debt limit, which should avert a financial crisis, and give Democratic lawmakers a few more weeks to come together.