A path forward: give Manchin’s 1.8T bill a vote, with a short (~6 month) CTC extension included - a rounding error in a bill that big. Dems would be giving Manchin everything he wants, including time to negotiate a bipartisan CTC solution. In return… 1/ washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/1…
All Dems would be asking, in exchange for giving Manchin everything he wants, is to not let 10 million children slide into poverty while he pursues his bipartisan CTC negotiations. But of course it would be unwise for Dems to simply hope & pray those negotiations succeed. So… 2/
Dems can roll out a more narrowly focused FAMILIES Act, with a long-term extension of the CTC as its centerpiece. We know the CTC complies with reconciliation rules, and there are reconciliation vehicles available next year. This will backstop Manchin’s negotiations, and… 3/
We know the CTC is extremely popular. A FAMILIES Act with the CTC as its centerpiece will be a compelling message for 2022, especially since most Rs oppose extending it. A messaging challenge on BBB has been its sprawling nature. A FAMILIES Act would be more narrowly focused. 4/
This plan would also set up something that forces Congress to act: a cliff. The expiration of the short-term CTC creates a deadline. If Manchin finds a bipartisan plan acceptable to the WH, great. If not, the cliff forces a showdown vote on a long-term extension. Fair’s fair. 5/
This is a good faith offer. If Manchin votes against his own bill simply because it gives him time to negotiate a bipartisan fix and prevents 10M kids from sliding into poverty in the meantime… well that’s hard to explain no matter where you come from, or what your plans are. 6/
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