Bernie Sanders said he'd oppose a $3 trillion Democrat-only infrastructure plan since it's 'much too

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

low,'

Sen. Bernie Sanders indicated that he would oppose a Democrat-only spending bill if its price tag didn't top $3 trillion, brushing anything lower as too meager. It may set the stage for a confrontation between Sanders and moderate Democrats looking to restrain the size of a follow-up package.

In an interview with New York Times opinion columnist Maureen Dowd published Saturday, the Vermont senator ruled out backing a party-line infrastructure plan that amounted to either $2 trillion or $3 trillion.

"That's much too low," he told Dowd. He also pulled out a list of his priorities for a reconciliation package.

Link to tweet

They appeared to include broadband, climate, childcare, universal pre-K, paid family and medical leave, Medicare expansion and housing among others.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bernie-sanders-said-hed-oppose-182208158.html

Oh FFS. Here we go again letting perfect be the enemy of good.

[Walleye]

1. Way to go Bernie! I'd hate for you to compromise your principles a even little bit just for our sake

Sarcasm

[Demsrule86]

19. Sure Bernie....it is better to fail than to get something...sarcasm.

[Bucky]

2. It's comforting to know that if we get stabbed in the back, it'll be on the left side

[Demsrule86]

20. For you maybe.

[Volaris]

3. For now, it's a negotiating tactic.

If hes saying 3-4, he will probably let himself be talked down to 2-3, maybe complain a little, but still vote for it.

Dont freak out QUITE yet.
Ymmv.

[Scrivener7]

8. Gosh. Glad to know he'll let himself be talked down.

[Volaris]

17. There are days when I wanna say the same thing. But today,

I'm trying my best to keep my Hope's up and not get depressed, ok?

[Scrivener7]

29. Sorry. That wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at the fact that

your statement is true and this is really not the time for prima donna behavior among our own elected officials.

[Volaris]

33. I agree with that.

[Skittles]

4. who?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[JI7]

22. +

[jalan48]

5. What? Bernie isn't using the start in the middle and move right strategy?

[GPV]

25. I know, right?

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. FFS, Manchin said he'd be OK with 4 trillion total package

Sanders isnt going to block a balanced reconciliation bill that includes his priorities if it comes in at 2.8 trillion, if the BIF adds another 1.2 trillion to the package.

This is just a warning shot from the entire progressive caucus that the bill needs to be substantial, and not decimated by small thinkers. They won’t settle for some $800 million bill that diverts COVID spending and has no green jobs, childcare, or tax increases for the rich.

I don’t think Biden would accept a bill that small either.

[madinmaryland]

7. MoDo strikes again. Is she going to start talking about Biden not being manly enough?

She can just go straight back to hell where she belongs.

[liberal N proud]

9. Why we can't get anything done when Democrats are in control.

The republicans vote as a party, Democrats vote how they see things.

But with BS, I always knew he couldn't/ wouldn't be in the Democratic caucus when it came crunch time.

[SYFROYH]

10. I'm OK with Bernie working for more.

It might help others not cave so easily.

[getagrip_already]

11. oh c'mon now......

If I want to negotiate something and want $100, I don't go in asking for $100. Because if I start at $100, and you start at $25, we aren't going to end at $100. So I start at $200 to try to end as close to $100 as I can get.

It's politics.

Just sayin.

[questionseverything]

13. Agree

I love bernie, but I want medicare expansion closer to the top

[XanaDUer2]

45. Me too nt

[treestar]

44. why would he be the one doing this

he doesn't have the power. If Manchin won't vote for it, it's not like he's going to get it be more liberal.

And it doesn't miraculously work that way. You don't just ask for more than you want and that means you WILL get what you want. If you want $100, you can start by demanding 10K, that's not going to do a thing. It does not mean you will get 5K. It does not mean you will even get 100. If they want $25, you know you can get them up some, but your asking for $100 has to seem a possible risk to them that you will get it. The other Ds aren't fearing a risk that Bernie might get $100. These are not cases that go to trial.

[getagrip_already]

48. probably because he doesn't want to see it keep sliding backwards....

I'm no bot. I really don't like him. But this is politics and get why he, or any other senator, does this.

Yes, manchin is a/the holdout, but without resistance manchin will give away the store. So bernie is just trying to hold the line from falling too far back.

[WHITT]

12. Why The Opposition?

What Biden and Sanders have proposed is PAID FOR. Who cares how big it is? Yet Manchin et al, keep complaining we can't afford it. Must I say 'DUH'?

What they should be opposing is the monstrosity they're calling the Senate 'bipartisan infrastructure' proposal. It's NOT PAID FOR, and the only part that is funded consists of raising taxes and lifetime tolls and fees on working people.

[Doremus]

14. No, here we go showing how successful negotiations begin.

Hint: it's not a good practice to take anything 'off the table' sooner than you need to. Haven't we learned that by now?

[comradebillyboy]

23. When has Senator Sanders ever been involved in a successful negotiation?

I'm unaware of any occasion.

[betsuni]

26. That little hand written page with a few words on it!

[questionseverything]

53. I guess you're not a veteran then

Since you don’t know about Bernie’s veterans choice bill

[comradebillyboy]

58. I am a veteran and I am unaware of

Bernie’s bill. What was his role in passing it?

[questionseverything]

59. He and john mccain co sponsored it

The community healthcare clinics are Bernie’s negotiations too

He has accomplished good legislation

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. That would kill the reconciliation deal

[msongs]

18. cancel the F 35 made partly in Vermont, that oughta free up some $$$ nt

[mcar]

47. Uh huh

[George II]

56. Not only is it partly manufactured in Vermont, but there's a shitload of them based in Burlington.

[betsuni]

21. Again, Bernie calls Democrats "elites" ignoring the white working class, who need attention.

"Democrats need to speak to the struggles of the white working class, he says, something that 'sometimes part of the Democratic elite does not fully appreciate. We've got to take it to them ... to start going into Trumpworld and start talking to these people. ... You got all these folks out there who who are saying 'Does anybody pay attention to me?'"

I guess it's still (!) the idea that the 99%, both Republican and Democratic voters, will realize they're on the same side against the 1% if only economic class is explained to them. Once the chains of ignorance have been lifted, The People will unite and vote for True Progressives and everything will be nice, the Republican Party will be nice because The People united in solidarity and Republicans care about what The People think ( ). Racists will totally forget why they voted for Trump and go to the library to read Marx and Engels. The reason this hasn't happened yet is because the Democratic Party are out-of-touch elites too busy nibbling canapés and sipping champagne on coasts to think about anything but identity politics occasionally. THINK OF THE SAD WHITE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN TRUMPWORLD BECAUSE MEAN DEMOCRATIC ELITES IGNORED THEM. It is so easy, just talk to them!

[BlueLucy]

42. Why does he always defend white people? nt

[betsuni]

43. "Trump said things that made sense. He said he was going to take on the establishment. You know

what, it's pretty much what I said." He thinks Republican voters are democratic socialists, they just don't know it yet.

He still believes the myth of Trump voter's economic anxiety (for which Democrats are responsible, of course) -- "I do not believe that most of the people who are thinking about voting for Mr. Trump are racist or sexist." They are innocent victims. The economy was good and manufacturing jobs abundant during the '60s and that's when white people began abandoning the Democratic Party. Sanders doesn't understand the United States.

[Cha]

52. Actually NO.. trump didn't say a Fucking thing

that "made sense"

[betsuni]

57. Seriously. WTF.

[getagrip_already]

49. have you been to vermont? lol n/t

[tritsofme]

24. It's just bluster. I can't imagine anyone takes his threat seriously.

[RandiFan1290]

27. Bernie fighting for me when my reps won't

I love how much he triggers the right wing trolls.

Their whining is my favorite song.

[betsuni]

28. "Fighting for me" with a strongly worded little notebook page!

[Scrivener7]

30. But he "CALLS OUT!!" so much stuff!

[betsuni]

31. TAKES ON ALL THE ESTABLISHMENTS!

[Scrivener7]

32. THAT TOO!!

[FoxNewsSucks]

35. Looks like you definitely triggered a couple. . .

[Scrivener7]

40. Yes, we're totally TRIGGERED!!!

Go with that.

[George II]

37. He's "fighting for you" by holding out for something that will never pass?

[treestar]

51. To those who insist on the "fighting" metaphor

Bernie is with an army - he can't fight alone. The rest of the army has to do the fighting too. And they will only get the ground if they can beat the other side! At this rate, Bernie is "fighting" by punching a punching bag, not by gaining territory in the war. In the war, he'd have to fight with the Democratic Army.

[George II]

55. Reminds me of that short video of him and the speed bag, which I won't post here.

[Cha]

54. Don't confuse with FACTS!

[George II]

34. To think people have been complaining about Manchin and Sinema all these months.

[FoxNewsSucks]

36. I'll keep complaining about them, too.

Until they get out of the way and let voting legislation pass so Biden can sign it.

Republicons are working around the clock to make sure we can't vote, and that if we do, they can overturn the results. Manchin & Sinema are doing their dirty work for them by making sure Democrats can't act.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-lawmakers-caught-on-video-telling-activists-to-thank-manchin-and-sinema-for-not-blowing-up-the-filibuster-without-that-we-would-be-dead-meat/ar-AALY7Tf

Republicons thank them. I don't. Do you? Wouldn't you rather that republicon policy be "dead meat" than Democratic policy?

[George II]

38. The OP is about legislation that is opposed by a Senator other than Manchin or Sinema.

[FoxNewsSucks]

41. That's why my reply was to your post, since you mentioned them.

Has Sanders blocked action on the legislation? I'm inclined to agree with those who support his asking for more, knowing it will be negotiated down, instead of asking for less from the start and then letting republicons whittle that down to nothing. We've seen that before, don't know why some seem not to have learned from it.

Meanwhile, the most essential legislation the House has passed is sitting dead in the water because of two Democrats who were thanked by republicons. That may be OK with some here, but it's not OK with me.

[Elessar Zappa]

39. He'll vote for the final bill.

This is just rhetoric.

[mcar]

46. Someone hasn't been getting attention lately

[Blue_true]

50. You ending sentence was right on target.

$3 trillion is a lot of money that will take around a decade to work through all the projects it affects. Go with that, fix critical infrastructure, then have the economic output and savings from that fuel the next wave of infrastructure spending.